


Wings of Freedom

by casketbitch



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Bottom Eren Yeager, Eren Is a Little Shit, Eren Yeager Has a Nice Ass, Eren is beautiful, Everyone Loves Eren Yeager, Fluff, Grisha Yeager's Bad Parenting, Levi Loves Eren Yeager, Levi Wants That Yeager Booty, Longing, M/M, Oblivious Eren Yeager, Obsessive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Porn with Feelings, Possessive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Slow Build, Smut, Taller Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Titan-Haired Eren Yeager, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Yandere Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), send help, yeeeeeeeeeee i have spent countless hours on this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 73,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22432777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casketbitch/pseuds/casketbitch
Summary: Eren Yeager, a beautiful Titan shifter who has lived outside of the walls his entire life, is a person haunted by his past. Living each day in isolation, just struggling to survive, he only really comes to life when he is slaughtering Titans. His memories torment him, and his growing rage is threatening to consume him. All of this changes when he runs into another human for the first time in his entire life.Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest, is a dedicated soldier that spends his life fighting for humanity's victory against the Titans. The surly, jaded man prefers to keep as much distance between himself and people as possible. His life is a series of battles that has left him cynical and cold. However, during one fateful expedition outside the walls, his entire life changes after laying eyes on this most breathtaking person he has ever seen.How will these two wounded men be drawn together? What awaits Humanity's Strongest and Humanity's Last Hope?
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/ Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 107
Kudos: 554





	1. A Fated Meeting

_Eren_

Eren walks through the forest of giant trees, relishing in what little sunlight manages to pierce through the dense canopy of leaves overhead. The forest is quiet, as it usually is, because most Titans tend not to wander this deep into the sea of trees. The green eyed man enjoys the tranquility, basking in the sounds of the birds that flit from tree to tree. His feet find a well worn path, one he has ventured down countless times, following it to a sparkling stream with startlingly clear water. Violets grow along the bank, their petals glistening with condensation from the bubbling brook. The occasional trout leaps from the water, their orange scales catching the light and glittering like gems.

Eren idly hums a tune his mother used to sing as he begins filling the buckets he carries with water. His face wears a permanent emotionless expression, and his brilliant emerald eyes are cold. There is no warmth in them as he goes about his routine duties. Once his task is complete, the young man with rich, chocolate colored hair walks downstream a bit, checking the nets he cast the day before. His eyes widen when he sees that today's catch is bountiful. Four fat Brook Trout flail wildly in the net, trapped.

Feeling a bit more relaxed now that he has acquired dinner, Eren quickly, mercifully ends the fish's lives, before stuffing them in his father's old knapsack. _Now I won't have to break into my stores._ The young man thinks to himself as he throws the bag over his shoulder and makes his ways back to the buckets. Despite being extremely physically fit, it is still a struggle to carry the water and the fish back to his home by himself. The chocolate haired man finds himself wishing, certainly not for the first time, that he wasn't alone.

When Eren was a child, living with his mother and father in this forest outside the walls, Grisha had developed a herb based perfume that masks their scent, allowing them to remain hidden from the Titans with relative ease. That, combined with the fact that most Titan's congregate near the walls due to the fact that they are more attracted to higher concentrations of humans, means that the Yeager family has been able to live outside the walls without much trouble.

Well, that was true until about six years ago. An abnormal had ventured deeper than usual into the woods, catching Eren's mother when she was out gathering berries with a twelve year old Eren at her side. Eren watched as his mother was devoured by the widely smiling Titan, only able to escape because the horrid creature was too busy devouring Carla. That was the first tragedy that caused the some of the light to leave Eren's brilliant emerald eyes.

After that, when a hysterical, filthy Eren had finally stumbled his way back home, his father had gone mad from grief after discovering what had happened to his wife. The normally calm, highly intelligent Grisha that Eren had always admired, was a shell of his former self. The same night that he lost his mother, Eren's father had decided that he couldn't live without Carla. He forced Eren to inherit his father's Titan so Grisha could reunite with Carla in the afterlife, leaving Eren instantly, with no warning, utterly alone in this world.

Armed with the means to protect himself should a Titan find him, the twelve year old boy had been forced to suddenly care for himself, relying only on what his parents had taught him about survival. That was the second tragedy, erasing every bit of light from Eren's eyes.

Now, six years later, Eren has adapted to the isolation. He has perfected the art of hunting and gathering, and has even mastered his Titan ability. Though his father had told him to only use it to defend himself, Eren often finds himself leaving the forest, hunting down every filthy Titan he can find and slaughtering it while in his own Titan form. It is only during those moments, when he is ripping those monsters limb from limb, that he truly feels alive anymore.

Eren finally makes it back to the wooden cabin that serves as his home. Grisha had built it long ago, before Eren was even born. A neat garden frames the home. The wood is covered with deep green moss in many places, and ferns have long since taken up residence on the roof. The abode looks as if it somehow grew out of the ground, blending in perfectly with the nature around it. One would have to look twice to be able to tell that the structure is something that came from humans rather than from the hands of the wilderness herself.

With a grunt of effort, Eren pushes the door open with his foot, stepping inside the cabin while trying not to let water spill out of the buckets and onto the floor. The chocolate haired man walks over to the hearth in the center of the living room, before setting the buckets down with a sigh of relief, his muscular arms aching.

The eighteen year old starts the fire, before pouring the water into the massive cauldron that hangs above the flames. While allowing that to boil, he begins to clean the trout at the butcher table in the kitchen. It's a tedious task that allows Eren's thoughts to wander as he just goes about the well practiced motions. A familiar itch in his mind starts up that has the green eyed man's teeth grinding. It's been days since he last transformed, since he last felt the scorching heat of Titan blood splash against his skin. Eren knows then that he will need to go out soon to quench his bloodlust.

An hour later, after filling seven jars with now purified water, Eren throws two trout into the cauldron with whatever is left of the water. After adding some vegetables and herbs, he allows it to stew while heading down into the cellar. A blast of icy air envelopes the green eyed male as he steps into the large room underneath his home. Cut chunks of ice are all around the room, serving as a means of temperature control all throughout the year that enables him to store food without it going bad. He hangs the other two trout, which he has coated with salt, from meat hooks alongside other cuts of meat from Eren's past hunting trips. He harvests the salt from a nearby salt lake that Grisha found many years ago, and leaves the trout to cure here for the next few weeks before heading back upstairs.

The rest of the evening passes with the usual monotonous peace. After a hearty dinner, some cleaning, and watering his herb garden, Eren washes himself before climbing into bed, exhausted from yet another day of trying to survive out here in total solitude.

Despite being spent, sleep eludes the green eyed male as it always does. Lying there in the darkness, tossing and turning on the grass and feather stuffed mattress, Eren's thoughts wander to unpleasant places. Images of his mother's final, gruesome moments flash in his mind. The eighteen year old clenches his teeth, willing away the memories that pay him no mind and continue to assault him. That Titan's grisly smile, teeth coated with his mother's blood, those eyes the size of Eren's head fixed on his mother's broken body in its filthy hands before it takes another bite out of her... it's replaying over and over in his head.

The memory of his father's voice, full of desperation and grief as he yelled at Eren, telling him to remember that that old key holds the answers to humanity's questions, right before he jabs the syringe into the tender flesh of the child's arm. Said key, which now hangs around Eren's neck, seems to grow hotter as more memories hit the green eyed man in merciless waves.

_"Eren! Eren!"_ His father's voice calls, and the eighteen year old jolts upright, panting heavily. His green eyes struggle to focus in the darkness of his room. He hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep. Sweat causes Eren's handmade clothes to stick to his tanned skin uncomfortably as the young man struggles to catch his breath.

"Fuck..." He murmurs into the darkness, but just like always, no one is listening.

* * *

_Levi_

Levi's legs hug his horse's sides as he gallops across the vast field. His squad flanks him, while all around different squads are grouped together, the army of Scouts powering forward through Titan territory. Every now and again the thundering sound of hoof falls is interrupted by the bang of a flare being fired in the distance. Streaks of red signal to the rest of the formation that Titans have been spotted, and the army changes its course accordingly.

"I hope that this mission actually succeeds this time. I don't know how much more patience the nobles have." Eld speaks up, interrupting the tense silence that hangs over the squad. Oruo snorts derisively at his comrade's words.

"Who cares about those old farts anyway? It's not like they're the ones risking their asses." The beady eyed man retorts, earning a sharp glare from Petra, who is trying to ride as close as possible to Levi.

"Whether we like it or not, the Scouts are at the mercy of the government. So, unless you want to be hanged, I'd try not speaking so loud next time." Petra lectures him, her tawny hair swaying in the wind as they ride. Levi simply listens to his squad's bickering, not joining in though they try several times to pull him into the conversation. The silver eyed man looks straight ahead, every sense trained to detect any sign of danger.

"It's our job to make sure that the mission succeeds. We need to build an outpost outside the walls, and this newest plan is the best one we've come up with so far." Gunther reasons, ever the dutiful soldier. "The forest of giant trees is the best place to construct it, seeing as we can build it in the trees thanks to our omnidirectional-mobility gear." The brunette adds. Oruo snorts once again, and Levi finds himself being greatly annoyed by the abrasive sound.

"That's assuming that all the new recruits don't get killed before we have a chance to finish it. They're too green to be on this mission. The Commander should have waited until they had more experience before starting this big of an expedition. But does anyone listen to me? No." Oruo gripes, and Levi's eye twitches.

Turning his head to level a glare at his subordinate, Levi speaks for the first time since they left Wall Maria. "Oruo, tell me, why is it that Erwin is the Commander, and not you?" The silver eyed man asks in a monotone voice. His comrade's back visibly straightens.

"Because he is the best person for the job, Captain Levi." Oruo responds formally. Levi narrows his eyes before facing forward once again.

"Good. Now all of you shut the fuck up and pay attention; we aren't on a field trip." The raven haired man orders, relishing in the silence that falls on the five of them finally. It doesn't take much longer for the massive treeline of the forest to come into view, making everyone feel a little less uneasy now that they will soon be able to use their gear again to better evade and fight the Titans that are an ever present threat.

However, as they get closer to the forest, something doesn't feel right. Unlike the giant forest in the fallen Wall Maria, no Titans can be seen lingering about here. There were plenty of Titan's on the way here, but the actual forest appears to be clear of them. "Oi, be on your guard, something is off." Levi orders, on high alert.

"Yes, Sir!" His subordinates say in unison, but Levi pays no attention to them. His silver eyes are scanning the treeline. Nothing, he doesn't see anything. His body taut with tension, Levi continues to ride closer and closer to the ominous looking forest.

"Where are all the Titans?" Petra asks quietly, unease creeping into her voice. No one says anything as they finally make it to the first of the trees, following a path that Titans most likely created by walking through here. _So Titans have been here, but where are they now?_ Levi thinks to himself, finding that he doesn't like how much colder it is in the forest what with the canopy blocking out most of the sunlight.

Levi's squad enters the forest behind three other squads that make up the front. All the other groups enter in a line behind them, making it so that the formation has lost much of its spotting capabilities. This doesn't make Levi feel any less uneasy about the situation, but he simply rides forward.

The army continues on for about two kilometers before Erwin fires a yellow flare from behind them, signalling that this is where they will stop. Just as they had planned, everyone dismounts, flying up into the trees and leaving the horses to the two squads in charge of gathering them and tying them up. "Everyone, split into pairs, search the forest for the best place to construct the outpost. Report back to base once you have found a spot that fits the requirements, or in two hours. I'll be investigating to see if I can find any Titans on my own." Levi instructs his subordinates. Normally, he should also be looking for a place to build the outpost, but this strange lack of Titans is making him too uneasy. Something isn't right, and he needs to find out what it is. 

"Yes, Captain Levi!" They all say, before pairing off and splitting up. Levi chooses a random direction, zipping from tree to tree, his keen silver eyes searching around for a sign of anything amiss. He's so wrapped up in this, that he doesn't notice that he has ventured far deeper into the giant forest than he probably should.

Suddenly, a strange smell has him landing on a branch and looking around. His nose may not be as sharp as Mike's, but even he can detect the bizarre aroma. It smells like... smoke? Changing direction to follow the scent, Levi soars through the air, his green cloak flapping in the wind as he moves. He seems to travel for hours, and just when he begins to wonder if the vague scent of a fire is in his head, he spots something through the branches. There, a few meters ahead, is a cloud of smoke. It rises through the air in the distance, clearly distinguishable. _Is it some sort of forest fire?_ He wonders, trying to find a reasonable explanation for what he is seeing. However, it has clearly rained recently, as the entire forest is damp. The likelihood of a fire happening by chance in these conditions is extremely low.

Tension rippling through him, he cautiously approaches the source of the smell, landing on the massive branch of a tree when he comes across a small clearing. He can't believe his eyes. There, on the forest floor, covered in moss and plant life, is a moderately sized log cabin. From it's chimney, smoke drifts out and up into the air lazily. _What the fuck?_ The raven haired man wonders to himself, frozen in shock. What he is seeing should be impossible.

It's clear that the cabin is not the ruins of humans of the past before humanity was forced behind the walls. The garden looks decently well kept, and the smoke of a fire shows that someone has been here very recently. Levi stares at the unbelievable sight for a long moment before he reaches into his belt to retrieve his flare gun. He needs to let Erwin know about what he found. This discovery could possibly uncover some of the truth about this fucked up world.

Levi's arm moves up to fire the flare, when suddenly his entire body becomes utterly still. There, exiting the strange cabin, is the most stunning person he has ever seen. A young man, looking not a day over twenty, walks out into the clearing. He has longish, chocolate colored hair that shines brilliantly in the weak sunlight. His skin is flawless; a seductive caramel color that looks unbelievably smooth. His gorgeous body is lean, but very toned, with a narrow waist and wider hips than one usually sees on a man. His legs are deliciously long, and stride confidently through the ferns in the clearing. The clothing he is wearing looks a bit too small, hugging his body and leaving little to the imagination as Levi takes notice of the man's absolutely perfect ass.

The man is facing away from Levi, hiding his face from the captivated silver eyes of the Captain. Feeling an overwhelming desire to get a look at the stranger's face, Levi finds himself calling out. "Oi!" The young man's head whips in his direction, and Levi forgets how to breathe.

Breathtaking, bright green eyes laced with teal and gold stare at Levi with shock. They are framed with ridiculously long, sultry lashes. Despite how absolutely stunning those eyes are, they seem dead, utterly devoid of life. They bore into Levi with such an intensity that a shiver runs up the Scout's spine. Those emerald orbs capture all of Levi's attention for a moment, before he remembers to look at the rest of the stranger's face. High cheekbones, a perfect nose, sharp jawline, and unbelievably sexy full lips make all of Levi's blood shoot straight to his groin. The stranger is _beautiful_ , absolutely flawless to a point where Levi wonders for a moment if he is even real.

He recalls old stories a new recruit called Armin told at dinner about fairy tale creatures called forest nymphs. The brat had apparently read about them in a forbidden book from the past. The creatures are said to have an otherworldly beauty, roaming the forests and luring unsuspecting travelers in with their honeyed words and beautiful faces. Levi finds that he would not doubt it if this stranger were one of these mythical creatures.

Levi's raised arm falls to his side, his fingers unintentionally letting go of the flare gun as he stares at the strange man, utterly mesmerized. The gun hits the forest floor with a thud that seems to startle the beautiful man in the clearing. He jolts, that tempting body tensing, before he starts sprinting away from Levi. A sort of growl comes from the Captain's lips, everything in him telling him to hunt that person down and find out everything about him.

Levi fires his hooks, lodging them in a tree across the clearing before he swoops down, chasing after the strange man who is sprinting impressively fast deeper into the forest. The green eyed beauty seems to know exactly where he is going, as he expertly maneuvers around trees and boulders and fallen logs. Levi is hot on his trail, gaining on the caramel skinned man quickly. However, as the Scout moves around a tree, the stranger seems to vanish into thin air.

Levi lands on a branch without paying much attention, his gaze frantically searching for the exquisitely beautiful man. _I have to fucking find him. He could hold valuable information for humanity._ The Captain thinks, choosing to ignore the massive part of him that just wants to look into those stunning eyes again.

The Scout is so preoccupied with catching sight of the green eyed beauty again, that he doesn't even notice the fifteen meter Titan that appears behind him. "Watch out!" A gorgeous voice yells, right before the Titan clamps its massive hand around the soldier. Levi gasps in pain as the Titan squeezes, lifting Levi off the branch that was too low to the ground. Black spots dance across his eyes as the air is forced from him, his ribs breaking in the Titan's powerful grip. _Fuck, I can't pass out..._ Levi thinks to himself desperately, as the world slowly goes black. The last thing he sees is a brilliant flash of green and gold light before his eyes fall closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Back with another Levi/ Eren fic. Eren is 18 rather than 16. Levi is a younger in this, only five years older than Eren making him 23, and he's also taller than Eren in this one. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Unlikely Savior

_Eren_

_Shit, what is that idiot thinking?_ Eren thinks to himself as he watches the stranger land on a branch far too low to the ground. The green eyed man is currently hidden in a hollow tree that he regularly places squirrel traps in, his gaze fixed on the human man that is somehow, someway, in his forest. Eren was absolutely shocked to see another person, as he has never laid eyes on anyone other than his parents. The man had seemed just as surprised, if not more so, to see Eren here.

Eren has no idea why the stranger had chased after him, but the green eyed man feels confident that the other man doesn't know where he is. In this terrain, Eren has the advantage. So, he simply watches to see what the other person will do, nervous that the human is so low to the ground. Unlike Eren, who is more than capable of defending himself, that person has no chance against a Titan. There shouldn't be any Titans around here thanks to his tireless efforts to keep the forest clear of them, but there is always a possibility. Though, that strange device that makes the person fly may give him an advantage.

When Eren had first seen the man move through the air, he nearly froze just to stare. He didn't know humans could fly. He finds himself tempted to come out just so he can ask how the stranger is doing it. What is that strange device that makes that whooshing sound and shoots wires? Eren is dying to know.

A sudden movement makes Eren's blood run cold. _A Titan? So deep in the forest?_ He wonders, realizing that the monster has its grotesquely bulging eyes fixed on the man in the tree. "Watch out!" Eren calls to the man, jumping out of his hiding place. The man realizes too late that the Titan is there, and it snatches him up. Eren's blood turns to ice in his veins as images of his mother in the hands of that filthy monster flash through his eyes. _No, I won't let it happen again! I'm going to fucking kill it!_

Eren sinks his teeth into his hand viciously, that exhilarating feeling of transforming jolting through his body as the familiar flash of multicolored lightening strikes the earth where he stands. His Titan body appears, and in the next second Eren is ramming his massive fist into the other Titan's hideous face. The monster flies backwards into a nearby tree, its body limp but grinning expression unchanged. The human is still trapped in its grubby hand. Eren lunges forward, sinking his teeth into the Titan's wrist, tearing it off and catching the human before he falls to the ground once the dismembered hand goes slack.

Quickly, before the other Titan has a chance to recover, Eren sets the stranger on a tree branch as gently as possible before being able to finally give his attention to the monster that is now once again on its feet. Eren feels a rush of pure joy as he slams his fist into the scorching hot flesh of the Titan. Blood sprays, splattering against Eren's face and heightening his bloodlust. _More. More. Kill more. Kill. Kill. Kill._ He thinks wildly, ripping the Titan's arm off before scratching out its eyes.

The Titan falls to the ground, and Eren stomps its head in, making a mess out of its skull. He does this for a while, simply turning the Titan into mush before finally delivering the killing blow. He throws his head back, steam coming from his mouth as he relishes in the rush. _Another fucking piece of filth, dead._ He muses, lost in the thrill before he finally remembers the injured man.

Sobering, Eren quickly turns to the man, who is lying on the tree branch, not moving. _Is he dead?_ Eren wonders, gingerly picking the human up. He can't quite tell, but he thinks he sees the man's chest moving. Feeling a strange wave of relief, he hurriedly runs back to his home. His footsteps thunder and shake the ground as he moves, sending birds fleeing through the air. Once back in the clearing, Eren sets the man down as delicately as possible on the ground. Eren lies down, before severing his link with his Titan body and waiting until its corpse has evaporated enough for him to struggle out of its nape.

Eren leans back with a gasp, his body burning from the heat of the steam and flesh as he rips his arms free of the muscle that anchors him to his Titan body. He can still remember the times when he was completely incapacitated after transforming. It took a lot of practice to remain able bodied afterwards, but now he easily jumps down to the ground and rushes over to the unconscious man laying among the ferns.

Up close, Eren is startled by how handsome the man is. He has inky, black hair in an undercut, strands falling into his face attractively. His skin is very pale, which makes the dark circles under his eyes much more prominent. He has chiseled features that are perfectly proportioned. The stranger is tall, taller than Eren, and appears to be very muscular, but his body is somewhat thin.

Realizing that he is in a daze, he snaps himself out of it and quickly begins to assess the stranger's body for injuries. Eren has learned much about medicine from his father, who was a doctor, and the books he left behind after he died. He opens the man's strange shirt, noticing horrible bluish purple bruises on his abdomen. He presses on them gently, relieved when they aren't squishy, indicating that there isn't internal bleeding. Surmising that it must be broken ribs, Eren carefully lifts the man into his arms, grunting because he is really freaking heavy with all that muscle, and carries the man inside his cabin.

Once inside, Eren lays the man down in his parent's old bed. First thing's first, he needs to mask this man's scent so he doesn't lure anymore Titans into the forest. He retrieves the bottle that holds the concoction his father invented, applying it to the stranger's neck and wrists. The familiar scent of herbs and berries wafts through the air as he does this, feeling much less anxious now that the Titans won't be as likely to flock here.

Eren then goes about the task of treating the stranger as best he can. He removes the man's shirt and cloak, with much difficulty because of all the strange straps and what not that the black haired man wears. Eren unfastens the strange device from the human's hips, setting it on the bedside table for him to study later.

The green eyed man then applies a salve that cools the skin and helps with inflammation to the man's ribs, before binding them tightly with some homemade gauze. The man groans in pain now and then, but remains unconscious. Eren presses a hand to the man's forehead, which is covered with sweat, but discovers that his own body temperature is apparently much higher than this man's. _Must be because I'm a shifter. But still, he looks like he feels too warm._ Eren thinks to himself, before deciding to go down into the cellar to break off a chunk of ice, wrapping it in a wet rag and then placing it on the stranger's forehead once he returns to the room.

Seeing as there isn't anything else he can do until the black haired man wakes up, Eren decides to prepare some food for the two of them. The man will need to keep up his strength if he is to heal properly, so Eren makes an easy to digest parsnip soup with many healing herbs added in. He adds some grain to it from the farm his father started when they first came here that Eren has had to tend to ever since finding himself all alone.

In addition to the food, Eren brews an herbal tea that strengthens the body's ability to heal and ward off sickness. He adds some roots in that helps dull pain. Eren has had to use this same tea many times after being burnt or otherwise injured after transforming, and knows that it works like a charm to help with the pain. Satisfied with what he has prepared, Eren carries a bowl of soup and the cup of tea into the room where the man is resting. A pained expression is on the man's attractive face as he sweats profusely. Eren sets the bowl and cup down on the bedside table, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, you have to wake up. You need to take something for the pain." Eren tells the man, slapping his cheek lightly to try and wake him up. The man groans, his eyes fluttering open. Eren is shocked at how beautiful they are. Silver, with an undertone of blue, the man's eyes are unlike anything he has ever seen before. His mother had golden eyes, while his father's were a sort of aquamarine color. Eren didn't know that humans can have eyes the color of storm clouds.

"It fucking hurts..." The man groans, his eyes now open but unfocused. Eren guesses that he must be delirious from the pain. He lifts the man's head up, angling his body, causing the stranger to moan in agony.

"You have to drink this. It will help with the pain." Eren tells him, peeling the rag from the stranger's forehead before grabbing the cup and bringing it to his lips. "Here." He angles the cup, feeling relieved when the man manages to drink all of the tea.

"God, that tastes like fucking shit..." The man mutters, out of it. Eren can't help the chuckle that escapes him. He nods in agreement before helping to prop the human up against the headboard of the bed. The green eyed man sets down the cup and takes hold of the bowl of soup. He gathers some in the spoon before blowing on it to lower its temperature.

"Eat. You'll need your strength." Eren orders the incoherently mumbling man. The black haired stranger nods dazedly, opening his mouth when Eren raises the spoon to it.

"What's that... doesn't taste like anything I've ever had before..." The man whispers, his eyes struggling to keep from closing. Eren continues to feed him.

"It's parsnip soup with a bit of grain and medicinal herbs. My mother used to make it for me when I was sick." Eren replies softly, feeling unusually happy because this is his first time speaking to another human being in six years. He feels the disturbing urge to just ramble, saying anything and everything to this barely conscious stranger that isn't wearing a shirt. _What is his name? Where is he from? How old is he? What are people like? What is life inside the walls like? How many people are there in the world?_ Eren is bursting with questions. This is an unbelievable opportunity, one he never saw himself getting. He was sure that he would live the rest of his life without ever seeing another person again.

However, the new swell of hope is quickly crushed as Eren recalls his past. People simply leave you. Human beings are selfish, and greedy, and unjust. That's the reason why his father left the walls in the first place to bring his pregnant wife to the forest of giant trees so they could live in peace. Why should Eren be excited about meeting another human who is presumably from inside the walls? From what he knows, the people there aren't much good. Otherwise, why would his father rather cast his lot with the Titans?

The man eventually finishes the food, looking like he is on the verge of passing out again by the end of it. Eren helps him lay back down again, and notices that the stranger appears to be in less pain now. That tea works quickly. With a sigh, moving to sit in the chair he had pulled up next to the bed, he glances out the window, seeing that its starting to get dark. _Has so much time already passed? I still need to check my traps._ Eren thinks worriedly. He glances at the incapacitated man in the bed again. _He'll probably still be asleep for at least a few more hours. I need to quickly go out and check the snares before wild animals steal my catches._

Eren quickly lights a handmade candle to give the room a comforting amount of light, before he fetches more ice and wets the rag again, placing it once more on the man's forehead. Satisfied, Eren quickly grabs the basket he uses to bring back game, and heads out into the forest to check his hunting route before the light disappears.


	3. A Name

_Levi_

Levi's eyes grind open, feeling like there is dirt in them, as they burn and itch from exhaustion. It takes a moment for his vision to clear and the grogginess to fade. He finds himself staring at a wooden ceiling that has vines of ivy hanging down from it. Alarm courses through him, and he jolts upright, before a dull but powerful pain wracks his body in protest to the sudden movement. Levi groans, hugging his abdomen. _What the fuck happened to me?_ He thinks to himself. He notices that his shirt is off, and that his ribs are bound with gauze. A cooling sensation tingles on his skin as he looks down at himself in confusion. He feels something stuck to his forehead and he lifts his hand slowly to peel it off. A wet rag, by the looks of it.

Memories of a Titan grabbing him and breaking his ribs come to the surface, and Levi wonders how the fuck he is still alive. It is clear that someone treated his wounds. Did a Scout find him?

Levi's eyes are drawn to the soft light of a candle flickering across the room on some sort of dresser. A bowl and a cup also rest atop the piece of furniture, bringing up vague images. Levi can remember drinking something god awful, and the delicious taste of some sort of food. Did someone feed him?

Levi looks around the room more, his body instinctively tensing in surprise when his gaze falls on a man sitting in a chair across the room, fast asleep. With a start, Levi recognizes the stranger as the beauty from the forest. _Did he save me? But how; he doesn't seem to have any way of killing a Titan?_ Levi wonders incredulously.

Unable to help himself, Levi studies the strange beauty. He is even more breathtaking up close, if that's possible. His unusually long lashes cast shadows across his smooth cheeks as he sleeps, the soft sounds of his breathing the only thing that breaks the dead silence. The candlelight makes his perfect skin seems to glow, and Levi wonders at how soft it looks. The man's shoulder length hair is loose, falling in his eyes.

The stunning male is wearing something different from earlier. Trousers made of what seems to be animal hide, and a white shirt that appears to be too big for him cover that perfect body. A glint of metal catches Levi's eye, and he spots a large, golden key hanging from a cord of leather around his neck. If its possible, the silver eyed man can feel the stranger's body heat from here. It drifts towards Levi temptingly, as the air in the room is quite cool.

Levi loses himself, his eyes glued to the stranger as he drinks in everything about this stunning creature. His features are somewhat feminine and delicate, and with that long hair he could easily be mistaken for a girl if it weren't for that powerful body. Though, the man is even prettier than a girl. Levi is captivated, endless questions swirling around his mind. _How did this person save me? Why did he save me? What the hell is he doing outside the walls? Who is he, and where is he from?_ _How long has he been out here? How is he still alive in the middle of Titan territory? Is he alone?_

Lost in his thoughts, Levi cringes as a sudden wave of pain hits him. He is honestly surprised that it isn't worse. Unable to hold back the groan that escapes him as another wave hits, Levi tenses when the strange man begins to stir. He watches, uneasy but brimming with anticipation, as the man's eyes slowly open. A yawn escapes those tempting lips as he stretches his back like a cat, looking far too adorable to be healthy for Levi's heart.

Those unbelievable eyes fully open, stealing Levi's breath. Up close, the teal and gold is even more obvious in those green orbs. He immediately thinks that they must look like the ocean that Armin blabbers so much about. However, they seem dead, and horribly cold. It is as though there is no light in them, despite the fact that they seem to glow in the candlelight. It's bizarre, but Levi recognizes that look. He's had it himself for a very long time.

After a moment, the man's gaze falls on Levi, and the young man instantly becomes fully awake. "You're up? And... lucid?" The stranger asks, making Levi's heart skip many a beat because his voice is mesmerizing. It's rich, but somewhat rough, as though he doesn't use it often. Though, Levi supposes he mustn't if he lives all alone out here. It isn't particularly deep, just the right pitch to match his delicate features.

When Levi doesn't answer and simply stares, the man runs his hand through his hair with a sigh. "Perhaps we do not speak the same language. Shit..." The Captain wants to say something, but words escape him at the moment. "Well, by the looks of it, a few hours have passed. I think the tea is wearing off by now and the pain is probably beginning to come back. I'll go make some more. Just... stay here. Don't move. You're in no state to walk about." The man stands, allowing Levi to fully appreciate that tight little body as he holds his hands out to the black haired man and gestures for him to remain where he is. Levi arches a brow at that because the brat is treating him like a fucking dog.

As the man leaves the room, Levi feels the loss of his presence acutely. It shocks the raven haired man with its intensity. The warmth that came from the stranger is absent now, and the room feels too cold. He wants to get up, to find the man again, but its clear that his body doesn't have the strength for that. So instead, he listens to the clanking and rustling that comes from somewhere in the house. He hears the man's voice, but its muffled and he can't quite make out what he is saying; though, by his tone, he sounds irritated.

After a few minutes, the stranger comes back into the room, carrying a steaming cup in those elegant looking hands. Levi watches him intensely as the man drags the chair closer to the bed and sits in it with surprising grace. "Here. It's still hot, so be careful-- Wait, you can't understand me. Fuck." The man mutters to himself as he seems to try to figure out a way to communicate. Levi can't help the smirk that creeps onto his face.

"I can understand you fine, brat." The Captain speaks for the first time, surprising the young man who jolts a little bit. His eyes widen as he stares at Levi. Eventually, he scowls.

"Well, why didn't you say anything?" He grumbles in irritation, his defined brows furrowing. Levi shrugs, trying to appear as neutral as possible. Though this beautiful man makes his heart race like a love sick teenager, he must still be on his guard. The Captain doesn't know this stranger's intentions, though so far it seems that they aren't to harm him.

"I didn't have anything to say." Levi finds himself saying, cringing internally because he certainly isn't getting off to the best start with this stunning person. The chocolate haired man, instead of getting insulted like Levi thought he would, simply blinks at him.

"I see. I suppose I understand that. Anyway, drink this. It helps with the pain." The green eyed male instructs, holding out the cup for Levi to take. The black haired man looks at the beverage with suspicion. The scent it gives off is awful and makes his stomach turn.

"How do I know it isn't poisoned?" Levi asks, but immediately hates himself for doing so. The last thing he wants to do is give this breathtaking person a bad impression of him, but his distrustful nature isn't something that he can just get rid of. The beauty tilts his head to the side questioningly, a look of confusion crossing those perfect features.

"Why would I poison you? I could have just let you get eaten by that Titan if I wanted you to die." He inquires with genuine curiosity, those eyes studying Levi with an unnerving intensity that both sets him on edge and turns him on.

"Speaking of, why am I not Titan food? I thought for fucking sure I was done for." The silver eyed man questions. A tense expression takes up residence on the stranger's face at Levi's words.

"I saved you. That's all you need to know. Now, drink this if you don't want to die from shock induced by high levels of pain." The green eyed man's tone is clipped, his guard clearly up. Whatever happened, it's clear that he doesn't want Levi to know about it. This makes Levi even more suspicious as he narrows his eyes at the chocolate haired man, still refusing to take the cup. The stranger sighs impatiently, before taking a drink of the beverage and swallowing. He then gives Levi an expectant look and gestures for the raven haired man to take it.

Satisfied that it most likely isn't poison, Levi slowly takes the wooden cup that is very clearly hand carved. It is warm in Levi's hand, and he hesitantly brings it up to his lips. He takes a small sip, sputtering in disgust as the horrid flavor assaults him. "Gods, that is awful! What the fuck is this?" Levi grumbles, staring at the dark liquid accusingly. 

"It's a medicinal tea made of herbs and roots that help with pain, and boosts the body's ability to heal and fend off illness. There isn't much I can do about the taste I'm afraid. But it's better than rolling around in agony, trust me." The stranger says, a faraway look entering those gorgeous eyes as he speaks the last few words. Levi studies the man in fascination. Those eyes, they hold an endless amount of stories within them, and the Scout finds that he wants to learn them all.

Relenting, Levi downs the rest of the foul liquid, groaning in revulsion as he struggles to keep it down. The stranger takes the cup from him and sets it down. A tense silence falls on them as the stranger appears lost in thought while Levi observes him. After a moment, he seems to snap out of it, his eyes focusing again as he begins to inspect Levi's bandages.

"Your bindings are covered in sweat. Let me get some fresh ones, and some more salve. Are you still feeling feverish?" The strange man asks. Levi, who is completely mesmerized by this person, nods, as his skin does feel uncomfortably clammy. The man nods, reaching for the rag that the silver eyed man removed. As he does so, he gets very close to Levi, close enough for him to smell the stranger's scent. The green eyed beauty smells wild, like herbs and flowers and berries and woodland. Its delicious, and combined with the intoxicating body heat that rolls off of him, dangerously alluring.

However, all too soon the man has pulled away and leaves the room. Levi groans quietly, scrubbing his hands over his face. The soldier has never felt attraction like this before. Or really, just attraction in general. But everything about the beautiful man in the next room pulls him in. There's a grace about him, a profundity and otherworldly beauty that is captivating. He's so exotic, what with that silky amber skin and the way he lives, the way he moves and acts. Levi has never met anyone like him before.

Levi is lost in his musings about the gorgeous stranger, when said beauty enters the room once more with an armful of gauze, some sort of tin, and a newly dampened rag. He takes his seat next to the bed once more, attracting Levi's eyes which linger on every elegant movement. The strange man sets the items on the bed before meeting the silver eyed man's gaze again.

"I'm going to remove the gauze and then rebind your wounds. If I accidentally hurt you, tell me. Is that okay?" The chocolate haired man asks slowly, deliberately. Levi finds himself being surprised that he would ask for permission first. Its more than a little endearing, and Levi nods his head without so much as a word of argument.

The stranger sets about his task, which is much more difficult for Levi than he thought it would be. Not because its painful, because it isn't really, but because feeling this beautiful person's hands brush against his skin is giving him a powerful erection that is borderline painful. Levi's blood is on fire as gut wrenching arousal surges through him, and he literally has to hold his breath because he is sure that this seductive creature's scent will push him right over the fucking edge. _Think of Titans: of their grotesque, hideous faces, of the rancid stench of their blood..._

The man's fingers brush against Levi's chest and he almost groans. _Shit, this isn't working._ He thinks, stressed but relieved that a fur blanket is covering his lower half and hiding the raging hard on that is straining against the pants of his uniform.

Once the bindings are removed, the ocean eyed beauty studies the bruises littering the Scout's torso. Levi is surprised by how dark and angry they already are. It makes him suddenly thankful for that putrid drink because he has no doubt that he would be in agony right now if it weren't for that concoction. "Shit, it's worse than I thought." The Captain mutters, scowling.

Those bluish-green eyes meet silver ones, and the stranger shakes his head. "It could be worse. There's no serious internal bleeding. You're lucky because it seems that your ribs are only cracked, seeing as none of them are out of place. If they were completely broken, they could have splintered and punctured one of your organs. It seems fate smiled on you." The younger man says, his words surprisingly reassuring even though his face remains impassive as he speaks. Levi finds himself being extremely impressed by how knowledgeable the beautiful man is. "I'm going to apply some salve now; it should bring down the swelling and give a cooling affect that will help with the tenderness. Is that alright?" Again, he asks for permission before touching Levi.

"It's fine." Levi replies, completely fascinated by the stranger. However, once the other man's hands make direct contact with his skin unlike those brief little brushes, he flinches. "Shit! You're burning up; your hands feel like they're on fucking fire. Are you sick or something?" Levi growls, his eyes wide in surprise. He knew the man was warm, but he is shocked by just how hot he is. It seems unhealthy, and he wonders how this person is still standing and not even sweating.

The man cocks his head to the side, looking down at his hand that is covered with salve curiously. "Really, it's that hot to you?" He says with genuine surprise that confuses the hell out of Levi. Wouldn't every single person he touched in the past have told him how fucking warm he is? "I suppose I just have an unusually high body temperature. I'm not any warmer than usual. Is it painful to you?" The chocolate haired man asks, meeting the Scout's eyes once more.

Levi hesitantly shakes his head, still convinced that something must be seriously wrong with the strange man. No person is just _that_ warm. "No, it just surprised me is all. I didn't mean to interrupt." The silver eyed man mutters. The stranger nods before resuming his task. At first, it's startling how hot his hands are, but quickly, it becomes extremely sexually stimulating. Those nimble fingers gently massage the salve into Levi's skin, easing the pain and conjuring goosebumps on his pale flesh. Levi almost moans obscenely when the gorgeous man gives a bruise on his hip attention. The soldier has to bite his lip to prevent any sounds from coming out. 

Just when he is sure he cannot take any more and is about to cum from just this, the ocean eyed beauty stops. Though Levi is relieved, he also feels a swell of sexual frustration in his chest as his dick twitches longingly. _Fuck, I'm just barely keeping it together._ Levi thinks to himself, genuinely unsure if he's going to make it through this interaction without slamming his lips against those sinfully plump ones, slipping his tongue in and tasting the wild flavor of that pretty, pretty mouth...

"You're shivering, are you cold?" The temptress himself asks, interrupting Levi's fantasies. The silver eyed man blinks a few times, struggling to focus on what the object of his desire is saying.

"I'm... fine." The soldier murmurs, and the man nods. After telling Levi that he is now going to apply the bandages and once again asking if that is alright, the stranger sets about his task in silence. Levi watches him, unable to take his eyes off of that beautiful face that wears a look of concentration. "Are you a doctor?" The Captain finds himself asking, unable to help himself. The other man shakes his head.

"No. My father was, and I learned what I know from him and from his journals and books. You will die fairly quickly out here if you don't have at least a basic understanding of medicine." The man replies distractedly, and Levi wonders at that. So his father was a doctor, meaning that he must have been taught by someone inside the walls at one point. Unless... more humans live outside the walls than they know.

"What is your name?" Levi blurts out suddenly, interrupting the precise movements of those lovely hands. Those eerily lifeless eyes meet the soldier's. He is silent for a long moment, seemingly debating on whether or not to tell Levi the truth.

"My name is... well I think it is... Eren. It's been so long since someone has called me it, that I cannot help but wonder if I'm remembering it correctly." The stranger whispers, that faraway look making a reappearance. He says his own name hesitantly, as if unsure of how to pronounce it. Levi's breath is punched out of him as the utter desolation of those words hits him. The Scout, who has experienced more death than he can calculate, is certain in this moment that that statement is the most tragic thing he has ever heard.


	4. Clash

_Eren_

Eren collapses into his own bed, his body aching after falling asleep in that chair. By the position of the moon, which he had stepped outside to look at, it's only a few hours until sunrise. The eighteen year old groans, seeing as how he hasn't gotten nearly enough sleep and must get up early tomorrow. The farm needs to be tended to, the snares and fishing net checked, the laundry washed, the herb garden watered, not to mention that Eren will need to stock up on medicinal herbs for the strange, injured man that is somehow now in his care.

Eren reflects on his earlier interaction with the attractive stranger. The man seemed curious about him, though clearly suspicious. _If I wanted him to be dead, I'd just have let that Titan eat him. Or, just left him in the woods to slowly die from his injuries or exposure._ The green eyed man thinks irritably. Though, he supposes that if he were in the man's position, he would be distrustful as well. He guesses that is the reason why the raven haired man hadn't told Eren his name.

Eren doesn't know what to think about the man. He is so different from the young man's mother and father; they aren't similar at all. Are all humans so different? Not to mention his voice. It gives Eren goosebumps just thinking about it. It's deep, rumbling and powerful, nothing at all like his father's or his own voice.

The eighteen year old looks at his hands, recalling the feel of the man's skin. It was surprisingly smooth, and cold. It's the palest skin Eren has ever seen, and reminds him of the moon. Again, Eren is shocked at how different humans can be. It makes his mind swim with the possibilities. _Are there people with red, or green hair? What about eyes the color of violets, do people like that exist? Do some humans have pure white skin the color of the stars? Just how many people are out there?_

With his mind on these unusually peaceful musings, Eren drifts to sleep easier than he can last remember. Pleasant dreams of the bubbling stream greet him.

Eren rises early, getting dressed in his work clothes and sliding on the moccasins he made from deer hides. He quickly, quietly makes a simple breakfast of hard boiled quail eggs, fresh berries, and unleavened bread that his mother taught him to make. He cooks an extra serving, along with another batch of medicinal tea, and silently brings it into the man's room along with a fresh wet rag. As expected, he is still fast asleep, his face tight with pain and glistening with sweat. Eren sets the food and the tea on the bedside table, before replacing the old rag on the man's forehead with the new one.

Thinking that the cool morning air might bring the man some relief, Eren opens the shutters to the window, letting the fresh breeze drift pleasantly into the room. After adjusting the man's blanket, Eren leaves to quickly finish his own food before getting started on the many things he must do today.

After tending to the small farm and watering the herb garden, Eren goes back inside the house to retrieve the laundry that needs to be done. He tries to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb the injured man. He decides to wash the old bandages, knowing that he will need to reuse them once the man's current ones become soiled. So, Eren creeps back into the room and gathers the old wrappings along with the man's shirt and cloak, thinking that he may as well wash those as well while he is at it.

Once everything is in the wash basket and he has retrieved the washboard, Eren makes the short trip to the stream. He finds his mind drifting as he sets about the monotonous tasking of scrubbing the clothes clean of their grime. He is brimming with questions about the raven haired man. Most importantly, Eren is very curious to know his name. The green eyed man has never heard any names other than his mother and father's, and his own. Eren wonders if every human has a different name, or if some have the same name. Are there more names than there are people, or are there more people than there are names? Eren finds that he really wants to know the answers.

Eventually, everything is clean. Though, Eren was unsure of how to wash the silver eyed man's bizarre clothes. He's never seen fabric so fine before. He found that he was afraid he would ruin it if he wasn't very careful. Perhaps the man he saved is someone very important behind the walls. He must be, with such fine clothing.

Before leaving, Eren checks the nets, feeling unusually fortunate when he manages to catch three more sizable trout. It seems the forest is smiling on him this week, and after killing the fish and storing them in the knapsack he carries, he lugs his catch and the newly washed clothes back to his cabin.

Once the clothes have been hung to dry on the line at the back of his home, Eren enters the cabin once more to put the bag of fish on the kitchen table so that he may clean the trout later. A sigh escapes the young man's mouth, the usual weariness of having endless things he must do just to survive weighing on him with its familiar heaviness. Only now, he is responsible not only for his life. That stranger in his parent's old room is depending on him. Eren sighs once more, before heading out to check the snares and traps he has set, remembering that he still has to clean the rabbit he caught yesterday.

* * *

_Levi_

The sound of movement rouses Levi from his unusually heavy sleep. He hears the crunching of footsteps from somewhere nearby. He opens his eyes slowly, and they find their way to an open window that lets in a refreshing amount of sunlight and fresh air. The soldier sees Eren walking past the window, a basket slung over his shoulder as he strides purposefully forward.

This serves to wake the injured man up fully, as he slowly sits up in bed. He becomes aware of another rag on his forehead, and is surprised to notice that it seems relatively fresh. The sound a door opening, and Eren entering the cabin has Levi curious as to what the beautiful man is doing. He stretches his aching body carefully, mindful not to aggravate his injuries too much. The pain is horrible, the tea having long since worn off. Levi grimaces, his eyes scanning the room absently before falling on something he wasn't expecting.

On the bedside table, a plate full of food and a cup of what seems to be that medicinal tea sits, waiting for him. Also there, to Levi's surprise and relief, is his omnidirectional-mobility gear, looking unscathed. Levi can't help but feel somewhat moved by the gesture of the fresh food. He slowly brings the dishes into his lap. The tea is still somewhat warm, and Levi finishes it in one shot just to get it over with. It takes a moment for him to recover, and he briefly wonders if the horrid taste is going to ruin his appetite. However, his stomach growls at the delicious aroma of the food.

Levi picks up a strange looking egg, studying it and unsure of what to do with it. Does he eat it whole? Aren't these fucking things usually cooked? It feels slightly warm, so he doesn't think that it's raw. He taps it against the side of the plate, cracking the shell and revealing a cooked interior. _I guess this is some kind of hard boiled egg?_ Levi wonders, removing the rest of the shell before hesitantly popping the whole thing in his mouth. He's surprised by how delicious it is, with a gentle flavor and a hint of salt that was probably added to the water it was boiled in. _How the hell does that brat manage to have salt?_

Feeling more confident about eating the strange dish, he quickly finishes it all, spearing the last red berry with the hand carved fork and popping it into his mouth. Levi feels strangely energized, as this is honestly some of the best food he has had in a long time. It isn't as though soldiers are afforded the funds to eat such fresh food. Levi has lost count of the amount of meals that consisted solely of dry, tasteless field rations. Not to mention that the bread, although very strange, was quite tasty. It was clearly recently made, and had a sweetness to it that went perfectly with the berries and the eggs. Levi already feels more awake than he has in months.

Once his food is finished and the tea is starting to kick in, Levi decides to try walking. He wants to see what Eren is doing in the other room, and get a better grasp of his surroundings. So, with some effort and numerous silent curses of pain, Levi staggers to his feet. He limps across the rough wooden floor, reaching the door and pushing it open, as it doesn't have a knob. He exits the room and walks into some sort of living area. There is an old timey hearth in the center of the room with a fucking massive cauldron hanging over it. A bench, several chairs with fur pillows, a coffee table, a few side tables, and an animal skin rug are the only appointments to the decently sized room. To the right of the room is another door, which Levi investigates.

It turns out to be another bedroom, presumably Eren's. This room is noticeably more decorated than the room Levi has been staying in. Levi steps inside, his eyes studying everything curiously. There is a decently sized bed covered with fur blankets and pillows. From the ceiling, countless bundles of dried flowers hang, swinging in the breeze that enters through the two open windows and giving the room an automatic floral scent that is surprisingly comforting.

On the walls, hand carved wooden disks are mounted. The strange things are fascinating, and incredibly detailed. Each one depicts something different. _Did Eren make these?_ One has a carved scene of a beautiful brook that is surrounded by flowers, a few fish leaping from the water gracefully. Another showcases a lovely woman with a brilliant smile and kind eyes, flowers in her long hair. The rest depict other nature scenes, but Levi's eyes keep finding their way back to that woman immortalized in wood. She resembles Eren, and Levi guesses that this must be his mother. _Where is she now? What happened to her?_ Levi wonders to himself.

There is a desk, a beside table, and a dresser absolutely covered with candles that have melted right into the wood. Levi's attention is drawn to a bookshelf tucked in the corner. He limps over to it, looking at the spines. There are numerous books that appear like hand made journals. There are a handful of others that appear professionally printed. However, some of the spines are in a language that Levi has never seen before. He picks one of them up, opening it and attempting to decipher the pages. However, it is unintelligible. _Everyone in the wall speaks the same language. Could this be a book from the past?_ Levi wonders, making a mental note to take one of these strange novels back with him. _Back with me?_

His body tenses. Suddenly, he remembers the truth of his situation. His comrades, who are currently risking their lives to build an outpost outside the wall, have absolutely no fucking idea where he is. He has been so distracted by his injuries and by Eren that he hasn't fully grasped the current circumstances.

To make matters worse, Levi has no idea how to get back to base from here. He ventured so deep into the forest that he completely lost sense of his surroundings. _Perhaps Eren would know. He knows these woods like the back of his pretty hand._ Levi thinks to himself, before being faced with yet another question. _What if Eren won't help me go back? He seems wary of people. God fucking dammit, I really screwed up. This is so unlike me._ Levi sighs heavily, deciding to leave Eren's room before he gets caught snooping.

Levi limps back into the living room, wandering until he comes across a connected room that is very obviously the kitchen. Herbs hang from the ceiling, and there are a number of wooden cabinets and tables for preparing food. Eren stands at one, dutifully cleaning a rabbit, removing the fur before setting it off to the side likely to be used for other things such as clothing. His movements are expert, as he's clearly done this many times before.

Levi watches, studying the chocolate haired beauty intensely. Eren seems tense, his shoulders slightly bunched up as he efficiently finishes with one rabbit before moving onto another, slightly larger one. His hands are covered in blood and work with precision on their task. Once he has finished cleaning the rabbits, he washes his hands in a basin, before retrieving a jar from one of the cabinets. Levi is surprised to see that it is a jar full of salt. He must have a fortune worth there. _How the hell did he get so much? Salt is one of the most expensive things on the market._

Eren coats the rabbits in the salt, before hooking a piece of metal through them, clearly meaning to cure them. Levi is once again taken aback by how knowledgeable this unusual man is. He looks so young, but he probably knows more skills than half a town put together. It explains some of how he has been able to survive for so long outside the walls.

Eren turns around suddenly, those gorgeous eyes widening in surprise as he spots Levi standing there, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "Why are you out of bed? You're going to aggravate your injuries." Eren asks, looking exasperated.

"I was getting tired of lying around." Is Levi's only answer, his silver eyes trained on Eren as the younger man retrieves a couple of fish out of a bag. "Tell me, brat, how the hell did you manage to get your hands on so much fucking salt? That shit costs a fortune." Levi questions. _Could there be other people outside the wall that he trades with? Does he somehow manage to sneak into the walls to trade for salt there?_ The raven haired man thinks, intent on getting more information about the world outside the walls that could possibly be helpful to humanity.

Eren wears a confused expression, looking at the salt in bewilderment. "This is expensive? I harvest it from a nearby salt lake, about a kilometer outside the forest to the east. It takes a while but it's not difficult." He explains, clearly not understanding Levi's surprise. The silver eyed man's eyes narrow.

"How do you get there and back without getting eaten by Titans? I didn't notice a horse yesterday." Levi interrogates Eren, whose body tenses. Those brilliant eyes darken as he gives Levi a dead stare.

"I manage. You should spend less time questioning me and more on getting some rest. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can go back to wherever it is you came from and leave me be." Eren says quietly, so quietly that Levi almost doesn't hear him. But he does, and the beautiful man's words cut through him like a Titan blade. Levi doesn't know _why_ Eren's words piss him off so much, but they do. It's bizarre, as people's words have long ago stopped affecting the Scout. When it comes from Eren's lovely lips however, that clear rejection makes Levi's heart sink.

"I wouldn't be in this fucking sorry state if it weren't for you. Why did you run away? Do you have something to hide from humanity?" Levi finds himself saying, unable to stop. _No, this isn't what I want to ask._ "Only a person guilty of something would _choose_ to live outside the safety of the walls. So what is it? Why are you _here,_ Eren?" Levi pushes further, taking several steps closer to the green eyed man, who looks shocked.

A long, electric moment of silence passes as Eren looks up at Levi with wide eyes. A switch seems to flip in the breathtaking man however, because that shock quickly turns to rage. "I don't fucking _know_ why I'm here! My father brought us here when I was still in my mother's womb. This life, this place, it's all I've ever known. You're the first human being I've ever laid eyes on other than my parents. I don't know anything about what humanity is like. But from what you've just shown me of it, I don't think I fucking want to know." Eren snarls, walking up to Levi and pressing a hard finger into his chest.

"You have _no_ right to interrogate me about my secrets. No one is entitled to them. They are _mine_ and mine alone. So get your head out of your ass and be _grateful_ that I slaughtered that filthy Titan and brought your ass back here. I could've left you to die out there, but I didn't. But then you act as though you hold some sort of authority over me? I don't live behind your fucking walls, you have no power over me, and you never will." Eren is breathless by the time he finishes, tears collecting in those eyes that are now full of angry fire. As a droplet falls down his check, the stunning man flinches, bring a hand up to his face. "Shit." He bites out, before storming out of the kitchen and through the front door.

Levi is uncharacteristically flabbergasted, frozen in place as he takes in everything Eren said. Guilt rips through the silver eyed man as he realizes what he has just done. _I'm the first person Eren has ever met?_ Levi thinks to himself, horrified. He can only imagine what it must have been like for Eren, who doesn't know anything about humanity, to finally meet another person, only for that human to be Levi's pathetic fucking self. What must that beautiful man think of humanity? Has he given Eren any reason to think anything good about them?

Levi sits down hard on the wooden floor. It's true, Levi is cold, curt, and crass, generally hard to get along with and more than a little bit difficult. But he has never been an asshole, until right this moment. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why did he say those things to Eren? Was he taking out his stress about the situation on him? Was it because of Eren's rejection? Or was he just so shaken by his overwhelming attraction to the ocean eyed beauty that he just instinctively pushed him away?

Levi stares at the ceiling, wondering how the fuck he is going to fix things with Eren. He is in the middle of uncharacteristic wallowing, when a deafening noise shakes the entire forest moments after a blinding, green and yellow light illuminates the entire room. Levi quickly stands, his body instinctively in a defensive position. _Eren just went outside!_ Levi realizes, ignoring the pain and running out of the cabin.

The all too familiar thunderous sound of heavy footsteps registers in Levi's mind as his eyes go wide. "Eren!" Levi yells, but gets no reply. The footsteps grow farther and farther away, while the Scout continues to call for the man who saved his life, only to get no answer.


	5. Grave

_Eren_

Eren storms through the forest in his Titan form, sprinting and feeling the wind rip its fingers through his Titan's hair. He's so angry, angrier than he's been in a very long time. The strange man's words keep echoing in his mind, full of distrust and antagonism. Why? Why did someone that Eren save look at him like that? Those silver eyes had dug into him. That handsome face was so cold as he spoke.

_"Eren! Eren! You have to remember, Eren!"_ His father's words from that horrible night ring in Eren's ears. Eren shakes his head, steam coming from his Titan's mouth as he pushes harder, further, needing to leave the suffocating forest. He needs to kill. He has to kill a Titan, feel its overly warm and strangely light flesh be torn from its deformed body by his own hands.

He bursts out of the tree line, furiously screaming into the large field that has opened up before him, daring any Titan to come find him. Eren doesn't have to wait long before several smaller Titans start to come from his left, running in disjointed, awkward ways towards him. Eren snarls, the sound echoing through the forest behind him as he sprints towards his prey. _Kill. Kill._ Eren reaches the Titans in no time, immediately picking up a five meter one with curly blonde hair and a bloated face. He sinks his sharp teeth into the Titan's neck, tearing its head of its body and sending it flying through the air, the head immediately starting to evaporate as it crashes into a near by tree with a deafening _thud!_ Eren growls when he feels the other two titans latch onto him, digging their disgusting teeth into his flesh. 

The pain barely registers as Eren kicks his left leg, knocking a four meter backwards several hundred meters. The seven meter, which is gnawing on Eren's waist, digs its fingers into the shifter's side to get a better grip. The green eyed man screams again in rage, the disembodied, harrowing sound sending all the birds fleeing out of the canopy as it shakes the trees. Eren grasps the Titan by the neck, pulling it off of him before slamming it to the ground. He pins it down with his knees on its stomach, and rains his fists down on it savagely. He keeps punching, over and over again, even as the the four meter Titan starts chewing on his leg again. Eren just keeps going, his entire upper body becoming drenched in steaming blood as he pulverizes the Titan with his bare hands. _More!_

Eventually, all Eren is beating is an evaporating skeleton. He growls in frustration, realizing that his left calf is all but gone as the four meter gleefully munches on his own flesh. A burst of revulsion shoots through him at the sight. He twists his body, wrapping his thighs around the Titan's neck in a headlock. Eren lets out another feral scream that makes the ground quake, squeezing harder and harder. The Titan's eyes pop out of its head with a sickening sound that makes Eren grin maniacally. The Titan struggles, but it's useless, as the shifter increases the pressure until its entire head flies off its body, it's mangled neck erupting with a cloud of boiling steam. Eren delivers the killing blow with his teeth, tearing the monstrosity's nape off.

The rancid scent of Titan blood assaults Eren's senses, scratching that overwhelming itch. His Titan body collapses backwards, unable to stand just yet until his leg heals. As he lies there, staring up at the clouds, Eren feels... nothing at all. A cold, empty state of apathy consumes him as he stares into that endless blue expanse above him. The hissing sound of evaporating Titan bodies lulls him into a daze.

Even after his leg heals, Eren continues to lie there. He doesn't have the will to move. Where would he go? Back to his home, where that attractive human waits, full of suspicion and ire? Back into the forest, where he has spent his entire life? After a long moment, Eren does eventually think of a place that he wants to go.

Numbly, Eren forces his Titan body to stand, and his feet automatically start to carry him to his destination. He wanders through the trees, eyes not really focusing on anything as he moves. He doesn't need to think, doesn't want to. His body knows where its going.

Eventually, after what seems like an endless, empty eternity, the green eyed man finds what he is looking for. A few hundred meters from the clearing where his cabin sits, next to a small lily pond that looks foreign in this landscape, are two, large stones. Mindlessly, Eren lies down face first, severing his link and pulling himself free of the rapidly disappearing flesh. He stumbles down from his Titan's back, walking on unsteady legs to the rocks.

He collapses to his knees in front of one of them, the biggest one. Morning glory vines hug the stone lovingly, their indigo blossoms wide open and hungrily seeking out the sunlight. A few butterflies the color of the most brilliant sunset flit from flower to flower peacefully, not seeming to mind Eren's presence here.

Eren stares at the rock, willing answers from it. But answers to what? Does he have any questions to ask? "Mom... I'm back." The green eyed man speaks brokenly after quite some time has passed, his quiet voice barely audible over the sound of steam from his Titan's corpse. Eren waits for a long moment, as though someone will respond to him. No one does. "Mom, I met someone. Another human, from inside the walls. I know that you and Father told me to stay away from them, but I couldn't help it. He needed my help." Eren continues, tears blurring his vision.

"I... am not sure what to do. Once the man leaves, everything will go back to the way it has always been since you... left. I should be fine with that, I want to be fine with that. But I..." Eren breaks off, a harsh sob wracking his body. He clamps a hand over his mouth as he clenches his eyes shut, tears pushing out from underneath his lashes violently. "But I just don't want to be alone anymore." The eighteen year old admits, weeping painfully. His entire body hurts, it aches. The pain is coming from somewhere deep inside his chest and spreading throughout him like a poison. "I-I miss you... Mom..."

Eren curls down on the mossy ground, resting one hand against the rock and covering his mouth with the other. He sobs into his palm, his body shuddering violently as he struggles to catch his breath. He lays like that, weeping, for a long time.

* * *

_Levi_

Levi is frantic, calling Eren's name until his voice goes hoarse. The sound of Titan footsteps, the horrific screaming unlike anything he has ever heard before, all of it makes Levi more and more desperate. If Eren gets eaten because of him, Levi isn't sure if he can fucking live with it. He's been able to live with a lot of things, but this... it's different somehow.

Eventually Levi has no choice but to sit down, his injured body refusing to hold him up anymore as he half collapses onto the fern covered ground of the clearing. He keeps looking around, waiting for that beautiful man to break through the trees with a scowl on his tanned face, completely unharmed. But two hours pass, and Levi still sits there, waiting.

A sudden noise, far too familiar, makes Levi's head whip to the left. A Titan's footsteps. Levi forces himself to stand as he listens to the creature get closer and closer, until it sounds as though it is just outside of the glade. _Do I have time to go inside and get my gear?_ Levi wonders, body tense as he waits. Any moment now, it's going to break out of the treeline and rush him. But moments pass, and... nothing.

Levi can hear his fucking heart pounding in his ears. His silver gaze is fixed to the left, and he scarcely blinks. Every muscle is ready to fight. The forest is still for what seems like an eternity, when all of a sudden, a cloud of steam billows up in the distance. _What?_ He watches as the steam just gets thicker, and before he knows it, his feet are carrying him towards it. _An evaporating Titan? Did Eren kill it?_ Levi wonders, picking up the pace and heading in the direction of the cloud.

Eventually, Levi stumbles across something that has him stopping in his tracks and ducking behind a tree. What he sees confuses him. Eren is there, kneeling in front of a pair of massive boulders, the corpse of a Titan a few meters behind him. The green eyed beauty is unscathed, though the area around his eyes looks strange somehow. Levi wants to walk over, to make sure Eren is alright, but his instincts are telling him to wait, to watch.

Eren is staring at the largest stone as though it holds the key to something that Levi doesn't understand. The beautiful man is quiet for a very long time, and Levi begins to wonder if Eren is somehow unconscious because he doesn't move whatsoever. Just when the raven haired man is about to go over there, Eren suddenly speaks.

"Mom... I'm back." He says, his voice sounding utterly hopeless and so soft. Levi has never heard anything like it from somewhere other than his own lips back in the days when he was hiding in the room of that brothel with his mother's rotting body. He didn't know that someone could also sound as lost as he once was. A tight, uncomfortable feeling takes up residence in the Scout's chest. "Mom, I met someone. Another human, from inside the walls. I know that you and Father told me to stay away from them, but I couldn't help it. He needed my help." Eren speaks again, tears beginning to tumble down from those brilliant green eyes that stare unblinkingly at the stone.

Levi feels his heart thundering as he listens to Eren's words. _His parents warned him about us? But why?_ He thinks to himself in confusion, fucking hating the way seeing Eren cry makes him feel. He feels restless. It's so foreign, as he normally just feels detached and unmoved. He has to be that way if he is to remain sane in this shitty fucking world.

"I... am not sure what to do. Once the man leaves, everything will go back to the way it has always been since you... left. I should be fine with that, I want to be fine with that. But I..." Eren sobs, unable to speak for a moment as the tears fall faster. He holds his hand over his mouth desperately, as though it is taking everything he has just to keep from screaming. His body is shuddering, and Levi is struck with the sense that the broken person before him is experiencing a sadness so deep that it physically pains him. Levi's breath hitches as he waits to hear the rest of what the beautiful man has to say. 

"But I just don't want to be alone anymore." Eren admits, sounding impossibly young and afraid. Levi _really_ realizes, for the first time, that Eren is utterly alone in this world. He truly doesn't fucking have anyone. The raven haired man is used to grief. He hardly blinks an eye at it anymore. But this, this is grief unlike anything he has ever seen before. In the walls, one is never truly alone when they go through grief. There is always someone near, even if its just people that live in the same town as you, simply knowing that they're there is a powerful thing. But Eren doesn't even have that. "I-I miss you... Mom..." Eren hiccups, succumbing to his sobs then as he curls up on the ground, resting a trembling palm against that stone as though he were holding his mother's hand.

Levi doesn't know how long he watches Eren weep in front of what is likely his parent's graves. It's long enough that the pain is beating him down with its full, brutal strength. It's long enough that the sun sets and the air grows colder. It's long enough that the fireflies begin to dance through the trees in a dreamy waltz, illuminating the thickening darkness.

Eventually, Levi forces himself to return to the cabin. He doesn't want Eren to know that witnessed such a private moment. Though, Levi is glad he did. He understands the mysterious beauty much better now. While Levi still doesn't know how Eren kills Titans, or how he has managed to survive outside the walls for so long, or why there are almost no Titans in this forest, or why his parents left the walls, Levi does know that he has no reason to be suspicious of the green eyed nymph.

As he limps back into the homey cabin, and stumbles his way to the room he is staying in, he thinks of how to apologize for his actions earlier. Levi doesn't know if Eren will accept his apology, and the raven haired man doesn't really deserve his forgiveness, but he has to do something. Levi won't let Eren be alone anymore.


	6. Proposition

_Eren_

Eren stumbles into his home, half conscious and eyes bleary from all the crying. His body aches from lying on the ground for so long, and from all the sobbing. All he wants to do is clean himself up and collapse into bed, never to wake up again. Maybe then this pain in his chest will go away. 

He bumps into the wall, barely catching himself before he falls to the ground. The shifter leans against it for a while, trying to pull himself together. But it's like his mind is full of fog. He's shivering from being in the cool night air for too long. Eren tries to move forward again, but collapses in the living room, his hands breaking his fall and landing straight in the long burning coals of his hearth. "Fuck!" The green eyed man hisses, his skin blistering and charring from the intense heat. Eren scrambles back, landing hard and breathing heavily from the agonizing pain.

Footsteps hurry towards him as the silver eyed man rushes out of his room with a limp. "What happened? Are you alright?" The man asks, coming over to where Eren is staring at his badly shaking hands. When the stranger's eyes fall on the grotesque burns, black and bubbly and bleeding profusely, muscle peaking through where the epidermis has been entirely burned away, he sucks in a breath. "Shit. That looks fucking bad, brat. We've got to clean it up." The man says, sounding worried. Eren doesn't understand what he's distressed about. Why would this human care if Eren gets injured?

Steam begins to come from the wounds as his body begins to heal. The raven haired man's eyes widen as he watches it. "I'll be fine. I heal... quickly." Eren finds his voice suddenly, and slowly stands up. The pain is making black spots dance across his vision as he wobbles slightly on his feet. The stranger wraps a strong arm around Eren's shoulders, making his heart do entirely foreign things. He dazedly wonders if he is having a heart attack.

"Come on, brat, let me get you to your room before you fucking pass out." The human from the walls murmurs, but Eren isn't really listening anymore because his blood is pounding in his ears as he begins to get _really_ dizzy. _Oh no, seems my body is going into shock._ He thinks groggily, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Don't... let me... fall asleep..." Eren whispers, his mind feeling heavy, the call of unconsciousness beckoning him. He feels his feet moving, and the stranger holding him tightly, but the sensations seem so far away. A sudden, sharp slap to his cheek makes his green eyes flutter open.

"Got it, don't let you pass out." The man whispers, sounding more frazzled than Eren's ever heard him. Normally the stranger just sounds pissed off. This captures Eren's attention enough to help ward off the tug of sleep.

"Whass wrongg?" Eren finds himself asking, but doesn't feel his mouth form the words. They sound wrong somehow. The overwhelming throb of pain and heat in his hands is making Eren moan in pain.

"Shit, if you keep making sounds like that, _I'm_ going to be the one who fucking passes out." The stranger mutters as he leads Eren into his room. The green eyed man's brows furrow in confusion. 

"Whadya meann?" He slurs, feeling cold all over. With what little self awareness he has left, Eren focuses on healing one hand first, faster, before handling the other one. This helps to relieve some of the pain as one of his hands gradually starts to repair itself.

"Don't worry about it, brat. Just stay with me. Oi, keep those pretty eyes open." The man's tense voice reaches Eren's ringing ears, and his heart does this sort of somersault at the compliment. The strange sensation makes Eren wince. _Am I dying?_

Another, stronger slap rouses Eren from his stupor more. "Ow..." Eren murmurs, his skin feeling uncomfortably clammy. More lucid now that one of his hands is almost completely healed, Eren focuses on the other now, the fog slowly clearing from his mind.

His vision swims into focus, and his gaze falls onto the handsome face of the strange man, who is looking at him with a concerned expression on his face. It looks odd on him, seeing as he always appears so aloof. Eren dazedly pats the man's cheek with his good hand. "It's okay, I'm feeling better..." The grim man looks utterly astounded by the gesture, and it makes Eren chuckle. "Go lie down, you're probably in just as much pain as me. Once I recover a bit more, I'll dress my wounds and make us some of that 'god awful' tea." Eren tells him, far more coherent now that the pain is ebbing.

"No fucking way, you just fried your god damn hands. I'm staying here." The human from the walls insists, clearly used to getting his way. Eren sits up, stretching his aching muscles as he becomes fully lucid once again.

"Seriously, I'm fine. I've had much worse." _From when I was training to use my Titan._ "Go lie down or I'll carry you again." Eren says sternly, caretaker mode kicking in as he takes in the man's labored breathing and the layer of sweat coating his pale skin. It's very obvious that he's struggling to even remain standing at this point, and he doesn't have Eren's accelerated healing.

"You carried me?" The man's eye twitches irritably at that news. Eren nods. Those silver eyes study Eren for a moment longer, before he sighs heavily. "Fine, but at least let me take a look at your hands, brat." The man insists, and Eren panics for a moment. He clasps them behind his back. He can't let this stranger see that his severe wounds have already almost disappeared.

"No, I'm... a germaphobe! I don't want anyone else near them. I can take care of it." Eren argues, trying to appear nonchalant. The man's eyes narrow, clearly seeing through Eren's lie, but decides not to press the issue.

"Whatever, I'm about to pass out so I don't have the fucking energy to argue with you." The raven haired man mutters, before turning and limping back to his room. Eren sighs in relief once he's gone. He didn't know how he would've explained what he is currently looking at. Tanned palms, emitting the last puffs of steam, looking completely unscathed.

* * *

_Levi_

Over the next few days, the tension that was between Levi and Eren seems to have faded away. To the Captain's confusion, Eren seems completely fine, his hands wrapped with bandages, but he uses them without an issue. Levi isn't sure what to fucking think about it.

Levi had apologized in his own way to Eren, namely by saying a simple, "I was an asshole", before finally telling Eren his name. The ocean eyed beauty seemed to accept it. He's been dutifully caring for Levi, giving him regular doses of tea, changing his bandages, controlling his fever, and ensuring that he remains fed and comfortable.

It's an extremely strange experience for Levi. Never in his life has he had someone there to nurse him back to health. He recalls getting much worse injuries than this, but he simply had to suck it up and keeping struggling to stay alive. He can't help but wonder what his life might've been like if Eren had come into it earlier.

On the fifth day, Levi is able to move about with relative ease, though only if he has some of that truly fucking magical tea in his system. He has taken to accompanying Eren as he goes about some of his daily tasks, interested in seeing what the beautiful man's life has been like.

The two are currently making their way to fetch water and check the fishing net. Levi doesn't know a fucking thing about fishing and hasn't really ever tried to do it before. Fish is rare inside the walls and thus reserved only for the wealthy.

"I think you'll like the stream. It's very beautiful." Eren interrupts their companionable silence. He looks a bit more lively than usual, and it makes Levi feel warm inside. The Scout finds that he deeply enjoys the younger man's company. The beautiful man doesn't blabber, and doesn't talk about useless shit that Levi doesn't give a fuck about. When he speaks, there's always a reason, and Eren is surprisingly articulate. It makes him seem older than he is. He gets lost in his thoughts easily, just like Levi does, and knows when to give the raven haired man his space. It allows the Captain to relax around him.

Well, if resisting the overwhelming urge to tear Eren's clothes off every minute of the day can be called "relaxing". It's gotten to the point where Levi can scarcely go two minutes without imagining Eren in a different position, moaning his name while Levi leaves marks all over that perfect caramel skin. The fantasies get so vivid that sometimes Levi is surprised to discover that they weren't real.

Take now, for instance. The silver eyed man is (reluctantly) leaning into Eren for support, feeling the breathtaking man's heat creep into his bones. Eren's arm is linked with Levi's, and his hand firmly holds the raven haired man's bicep. Electric shocks shoot through his body at the contact, and his blood is pumping so fast that he feels slightly lightheaded. That exotic but intoxicating smell is almost smothering him, making his mouth water. Every now and then, Eren's hip brushes against Levi's leg and his entire body tenses at the contact.

"Levi." _"Levi," Eren moans, breathless and shivering. I pin his wrists above his head, trapping him beneath me. Sweat slides down Eren's flawless chest, and I lap the droplet up with my tongue, loving the sweet taste of it. I grind my hips into him, grinning when Eren gasps in surprise. "Levi," he breathes..._ "Levi! Are you okay; do you need to rest?" Eren's voice snaps the raven haired man out of his daydream. He blinks, looking down at the absolutely gorgeous brat that is peering up at him with concern.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought." Levi mutters, scrubbing a hand over his mouth as he struggles to calm his racing heart. _Shit, this is getting out of hand._ _I'm zoning out in the middle of a conversation like a fucking idiot,_ Levi thinks to himself, but doesn't know what to fucking do about it. Logically, it would make sense to avoid Eren for a while until the soldier calms down, but that's not really an option at the moment.

Levi has even tried to find unattractive things about Eren, but has failed every time. The brat is perfect. He keeps things clean, knows how to do almost everything under the fucking sun eerily well, is clearly intelligent, has an almost unnatural beauty that takes Levi's breath away every fucking time, and has a personality that matches Levi flawlessly. It's like this nymph was specifically made for him, and it pisses him off. How is he supposed to control himself when everything about Eren pulls him in? Right down to the fiery attitude and obvious strength, Eren is temptation itself.

"Are you sure you're okay? I've noticed that you tend to be quiet, but you've have been zoning out a lot lately. Is it the fever, or the pain?" Eren questions, looking worried, and entirely too cute. Levi scowls and has to avert his eyes because if Eren keeps looking at him like that, he's going to do something fucking stupid like kiss those perfect lips until they're bruised.

"Yeah, I've just been thinking about my men. I have no idea what they're doing, if they're safe and proceeding with the mission or if they had to retreat back to the walls for some reason. All that fucking creepy Titan screaming a few days ago has me wondering." Levi says, not lying but not being entirely truthful. He doesn't know if his squad is okay, if the Scouts are still trying to build the outpost or if they've abandoned it. He wonders for about the hundredth time whether they're still looking for him, or if they've already decided that he's dead.

The burning urge to find them again, to reunite with his comrades, surprises Levi. He didn't expect that he would be so eager to jump right back into such a gruesome battle. But the fact that he is unable to help, to find them, its bothering him. He has no doubt that if Eren weren't here, he'd be going mad right now. But Eren's (usually) calm demeanor, his non-intrusive support, his addictive presence, it has been lifting the weight from Levi's shoulders. That, coupled with the tranquil beauty of the forest of giant trees, has served to calm the wayward soldier.

"We're here." Eren says, sounding somewhat eager to finally show Levi the stream that the ocean eyed beauty has mentioned several times. They round a tree, and one of the most exquisite things Levi has ever seen greets him. The water looks like it is made of crystal, glittering in the rays of sunlight. Perfectly round stones in various pale colors jut up in certain places and can be clearly seen through the completely transparent water. It is as though there isn't even a speck of dirt in the stream, and Levi admires how utterly _clean_ it is. Vibrant, flourishing purple flowers bloom all around, framing the brook as though it were a painting. Levi has never been one to take the time to admire nature, but he can't help but stare in awe at the beauty before him.

His body instinctively tenses when something leaps from the water, but he watches in fascination as a fish with sunset colored sides glides through the air before diving back into the brook. The fish look as though they are dancing through the air, flirting with it, before returning back to the water coyly. Levi hasn't ever seen anything like it.

"Damn." Levi murmurs, as he continues to drink in the scenery. Eren laughs softly, attracting the Captain's eyes, which widen when he sees Eren smile for the first time. A real, genuine smile that makes everything on this entire fucking planet seem dull and colorless in comparison. Levi's heart stops, awestruck by how god damn magnificent Eren really is. Completely forgetting about the stupid fucking stream, Levi stares as Eren looks up at him with those knee weakening eyes of his.

"I'm glad you like it. My mother showed this to me when I was really young. This place always reminds me of her. I'm glad I got the chance to pass it on to another person before I die. I'd hate for humankind to forget about this place. So, I hope you can show it to someone else in the future, and continue it on." Eren says, being unusually sentimental as his gaze returns to the stream, the melancholy in his voice palpable.

"Eren, why don't you come back with me when I rejoin my men?" Levi finally asks the question that he has been wanting to ask since he first fucking laid eyes on this breathtaking person. Eren looks up at him, clearly shocked by the raven haired man's words.

"R-really? You'd want me to do that?" Eren breathes, the slightest hint of hope entering those cold eyes. Levi smiles slightly, ruffling the ocean eyed beauty's chocolate locks.

"Yeah, brat. There's nothing left for you all alone in these woods. We're building an outpost here that will likely attract many more Titans. Not to mention that I need you to take care of my ass while we're here. No one knows this place better than you do, and I'm sure you would be essential in ensuring that we can maintain a successful, permanent presence here. You know how to survive off the land, while we don't. And when we've completed our mission, if you want, you can come back to the wall with me or remain at the outpost to help out." Levi proposes, trying anything he can to convince Eren to say yes. Knowing Eren, if he thinks he can help in someway, he's less likely to say no. Exhibit A, the fact that he saved Levi's sorry ass even after the soldier chased him.

Eren is silent for a long moment, studying Levi with that same unnerving intensity that always makes his dick hard and his skin crawl. "Can you guarantee my safety?" Eren finally speaks, and Levi is surprised by the question. Whatever he was expecting the chocolate haired beauty to say, that wasn't it. But Eren's expression is completely serious.

"Yes, unless you have ill intent towards humanity, which I highly doubt." Levi replies, unsure of how the conversation took this road. Eren looks more intense than the soldier has ever seen him.

"Levi, you, and the people of the walls, you all hate Titans, don't you?" Eren asks next, confusing Levi even more.

"Of course." Eren nods, looking off at the stream once again. Levi's body relaxes, as though he were just released from some sort of spell.

"I do too. All I care about is erasing them from this screwed up world. However, there's much more to Titans than I think you know. Not all Titans are the same." Eren whispers wistfully, that far away look in his eyes again, this young man sounding older and more wise than he should. Everything within Levi tells him that Eren knows so many things that they haven't even begun to guess about.

"Well, you shitty brat, you can help us figure it out then." Levi mutters, ruffling his hair again and trying to figure out why he feels so uneasy, like he's about to fall of a cliff that he doesn't even see coming.


	7. Shock

_Erwin_

"Have you still had no sightings or clues hinting at what happened to Captain Levi?" Commander Erwin asks Squad Leader Hanji, who looks unusually ragged. Dark circles frame her typically bright, curious eyes.

"No, sir. As I mentioned before, his subordinates reported that Levi had gone off on his own to investigate the unusually low numbers of Titans within the forest. They said that they recall him going east before he disappeared from their view. We tried to follow in his footsteps, but discovered no signs of him. No blood, no pieces of equipment or clothes, no discarded blades. It simply doesn't make any sense." Hanji replies morosely, her exuberant enthusiasm missing.

Erwin nods, not letting his professional mask slip. This is a massive set back for the mission, and a devastating loss for humankind. Humanity depends on Levi's strength. Without him, humanity has lost about a fourth of its offensive strength. _How terrifying._ Erwin thinks to himself, not allowing his grim thoughts to show on his face.

"Start setting up a bi-hourly schedule where three squads will fire a flare from various spots in the forest to try and ensure maximum visibility. Perhaps Levi is lost and is unable to find his way back to us. Set up a two kilometer search radius that two squads shall patrol daily to keep an eye out for any sign of Levi. Despite this, we can't delay the project any longer, more Titans are already starting to get attracted to the concentration of people here." Erwin orders Hanji, who salutes him before heading off to carry out his instructions.

Erwin glances around at the faces of the soldiers around him. They all seem to be keenly feeling the loss of Levi, and look far more terrified than they would if he were here. _Dammit, Levi, where are you?_ The Commander thinks to himself, resisting the urge to slam his fist against the tree he is perched in.

Deciding that he needs to start to instruct the builders on where to begin, Erwin prepares to head that way, when a sudden commotion makes him pause. "Commander! Commander Erwin!" A scout named Gus that was stationed at the east edge of the forest as a spotter flies over to Erwin with a panicked face slick with sweat. His eyes are wide as he gazes, terrified, into the Commander's icy blue orbs. "Titans spotted heading into the forest from the east. There is a horde of them!" The trembling soldier reports.

"How many?" Erwin asks authoritatively, wasting no time with niceties.

"About thirty, sir!" The Commander's heart sinks, but he draws his blade and raises his arm.

"All soldiers, retreat as high as possible into the trees! Titans are approaching from the east!" The blonde man shouts, his voice booming through the forest and capturing everyone's attention. Just as everyone starts to frantically hurry away from the ground, the thundering footsteps of multiple Titans begins to rumble through the forest.

* * *

_Levi_

Levi dozes off in a patch of sunlight in Eren's clearing. He is trying to relax, to shake off this sense of unease that has been haunting him whereever he goes for the past number of days. It has been a week and a half since Eren first saved Levi's life, and the man is recovering quickly. He still depends on a steady dosage of the tea, which is the biggest reason why he hasn't tried to find the Scouts yet. He isn't going to risk traveling with Eren until he is absolutely sure that he can protect the both of them.

So here Levi is, soaking up the warmth and willing his body to hurry the fuck up. As he lies there, listening to the distant sound of Eren humming as he works in the herb garden, a thought nags at him. The silver eyed man has the uncomfortable sense that he has forgotten something. But what the hell could he forget? He doesn't have anything to do, a stark change from his regular life.

Levi turns over, batting away a velvety fern frond that is tickling his nose. The air is pleasantly warm but the gentle breeze holds a refreshing nip to it that is absolutely perfect. Dressed in only his uniform pants and his boots, Levi allows his skin to be caressed by the gentle, loving touch of the sporadic breeze. He is taking the day off from the bandages as his skin needs a break. The yellowish green bruises are on clear display, and still look gross enough that Levi makes the conscious effort not to look at them.

For the past few days, Levi has been telling Eren about his comrades, though not very enthusiastically. The breathtaking man was absolutely fascinated as the Captain described each of them. Levi begun by relaying stories about his own squad, before talking about Hanji and Erwin. While Levi was discussing the Commander, Eren had interjected, saying that he reminded him of his father, while also adding that Petra sounds somewhat like his mother.

Levi then spoke about the new recruits that are closer to Eren's age, which Levi learned is eighteen, (if Eren is remembering correctly). He seemed particularly interested in Levi's descriptions of Armin and Mikasa. When Levi mentioned Armin's dream of seeing the ocean, those emerald eyes had sparkled, just for second. While describing Mikasa's exceptional talent and fighting strength, Eren had looked impressed, wanting to hear more tales about how Mikasa handed some brat his ass while keeping a blank face the entire time.

Levi tried to imagine what it must be like for Eren to hear about so many different types of people. It must be overwhelming, fascinating, and terrifying all at the same time. The soldier had no doubt that it will be difficult for Eren to get used to so many people, who will all be fawning over him, Hanji and Erwin in particular. Levi had felt a swell of jealousy at that thought. He's gotten so used to Eren being his own, hidden treasure. What will it be like for Levi when everyone's eyes are suddenly fixed on Eren? The idea of it makes Levi feel nauseous.

The smell of earth greets Levi's nose, when his eyes snap open as he realizes what he forgot. That weird perfume that Eren makes Levi put on every single day that apparently wards off dangerous insects that like to burrow into your skin to lay eggs. Just the thought of that makes Levi's entire body shudder in utter revulsion. Displeased at the idea of having to move but even more horrified at the thought of his body being invaded by filthy bugs, Levi stretches his limbs.

It's a subtle shift in the air, a slight shiver down Levi's spine that has him quickly sitting up first. But it's the sudden, fast approaching, _thud, thud, thud,_ in the distance that has the soldier jumping to his feet. "EREN!" He shouts, running towards the green eyed man who toils in the garden. Eren glances around the side of the cabin in question, before he too hears the foreboding rumble that begins to shake the ground.

Eren springs into action, moving to Levi in no time. "Levi, get inside the house now! They shouldn't be able to smell you--" Eren frantically begins, before he leans in to sniff the silver eyed man. Those emerald eyes widen in horror. He is about to say more, when Levi cuts him off.

"Eren, we have to leave. Right now. I'll get my gear and carry you out of here." The footfalls are far closer now, and the ground quakes beneath the two men. Silver meets emerald as they look into each other's eyes for a long moment, both realizing how dire the situation is, and also realizing that they may not ever see each other again.

"There's no time. Levi, get to the cellar RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" Eren yells, before running towards the treeline in direction the footsteps are coming from. Panic, something Levi hasn't felt in a long time, seizes him as he runs after Eren.

"What the fuck are you doing? Eren!" Levi shouts, desperate to reach him in time, but the brat is just so fucking fast and the soldier's injured body can't keep up. Silver eyes widen in horror as a wave of Titans bursts through the trees, meters in front of Eren who now just stands there. "EREN!" Levi screams, and the breathtaking man glances back with a gut wrenching smile.

"Run, Levi." Eren says, before viciously biting into his hand. A blinding light the color of the sun and the leaves and the scales of those Brook Trout Eren cooked for him, strikes the ground with a cataclysmic _BOOM_ that sends Levi flying back.

He watches as a Titan literally _materializes_ where Eren was once standing. Levi's brain is unable to process what he is seeing, as a massive, fifteen meter Titan rears its head, roaring so loud that it shakes the ground. Steam erupts out of its mouth that is lined with rows of gleaming white, sharp teeth. The Titan's eyes glow an unearthly green as it flies at a nearby fifteen meter Titan. Levi is still as he watches the green eyed Titan instantly rip off the other's nape, killing it, before it moves onto the next ones. All the Titans are rushing the one that is currently mauling them viciously.

If any Titan gets too close, the abnormal kicks, punches, or throws them back before continuing its frighteningly efficient killing spree. Unlike other Titans, the abnormal's body is perfectly proportioned, with defined muscles that ripple with each savage attack. Levi finds himself mesmerized by the green eyed Titan's dance of death. It moves with a grace and precision that seems conscious. Not to mention that it is aware of the weak spot on a Titan's body. Levi recalls Erwin's proposal that some special Titans possess some form of intelligence, such as the Armored and Colossal Titans.

Levi tenses when a seven meter Titan sinks its teeth into the abnormal's back. The green eyed Titan spins, grasping its attacker by the neck and crushes it in his fist, snuffing the monster out. Filthy, rancid smelling Titan blood flies through the air, drenching the picturesque clearing with gore. Levi blinks when some splatters across his face.

The savage killing continues for a long time. The green eyed Titan is a machine, finishing each one off systematically. By the end of it, part of its leg is missing, a big chunk of its side, and one of its ears. The Titan throws its head back and roars, and it strikes Levi as sounding victorious. More than fifteen evaporating bodies litter the ground at the abnormal's feet.

The Titan sumbles forward, toward Levi. His instincts kicking in, Levi quickly stands, tensing to run in case this Titan chases him. But instead, it takes one last step, before its legs buckle and it falls to its knees, its face slamming to the ground as its body gives out. Something, Levi doesn't know what, tells him to approach the now evaporating body of the green eyed Titan. His eyes widen as he spots some sort of movement within the cloud of steam.

Levi's legs move faster, pumping hard as he bursts through the plume. Silver eyes widen as they fall on Eren, leaning back with his eyes closed, his arms fucking attached to the green eyed Titan's body at the nape by reddish pink strands of flesh. His lower half is still encased in the Titan's decaying body.

Relief, blissful and all consuming, courses through Levi as he hurriedly climbs onto the deceased Titan's back, his arms wrapping tightly around Eren. Levi winces in pain, because Eren is absolutely burning hot to the touch. He presses his ear to Eren's chest, sighing in relief when he hears the steady pounding of the green eyed beauty's heart. Levi begins to pull, eventually wrenching Eren's body free from the Titan's nape, the two of them tumbling off the Titan's back and landing hard on the fern covered ground of the clearing.

Levi cradles Eren in his lap, staring at his face. Framing his closed eyes, are fucking strange, fleshy groves and hanging bits of evaporating Titan meat. His complexion is palid, and blood slowly trickles from his nose. He is burning up.

Having no time to think, Levi picks Eren up and begins running with him into the cabin. He puts Eren down on his bed, before rushing down to the cellar to get some ice. He needs to lower Eren's temperature as quickly as possible. He sets about the task of wiping down the green eyed man's body with a rag that he constantly dips into a bucket of ice water. As Levi does this, he replays the earlier scene over and over again in his mind. Each time he does this, he is lead to only one conclusion. _Eren is a Titan._


	8. Truth

_Levi_

It's been twenty four hours, and Eren still hasn't woken up from the coma state he's been in. Levi has been taking care of him while he's slept, cleaning up Eren's occasional nose bleeds, and keeping a cool rag on his forehead to try and tame that raging body temperature he has.

However, Eren's complexion has improved and his nosebleeds have all but stopped by now. Levi sits in a chair beside Eren's bed, refusing to leave the green eyed beauty's side. The entire time the younger man has been asleep, Levi has been replaying the past week and a half in his mind over and over again. It makes sense now how Eren managed to kill the Titan that attacked Levi, why there was a Titan carcass behind him at his parent's graves, and why Levi heard a Titan so close to the house the day that Eren ran off.

However, it seems like nothing else makes sense. How is Eren able to turn into a Titan? The Scouts have entertained the idea that there are intelligent Titans, but never did they even dream that it was humans inside a Titan's body, controlling it. Does every Titan have a human inside of it, or just the intelligent ones? How does one obtain the ability to transform; is it a gift from birth or is there a way to get it?

This just leads to more, darker questions. Such as, why would humans, The Armored Titan and The Colossal Titan, want to destroy humanity? What is their goal? And, what is Eren's goal? Is he aligned with the Armored and the Colossal?

No, he can't be, Eren told Levi that he's never met another human other than his parents. So, unless he was lying, it seems he doesn't have anything to do with the Titan shifters that are against humanity. But unfortunately, that doesn't mean that Eren isn't a threat. With that much power, Eren could do massive damage to the people inside the walls if Levi were to bring the green eyed beauty home with him.

Levi scrubs a hand over his face. This is so much shit to process. _"There's much more to Titans than I think you know. Not all Titans are the same."_ The Scout recalls the words Eren spoke the day he showed the soldier the stream. Levi had wondered what he meant, he guesses that now he knows. He understands now why Eren would get so defensive whenever Levi unwittingly asked questions that had to do with Eren's hidden Titan ability. The fact that Eren has survived out here for so long is easily understandable. He's a machine at killing Titans, and Levi guesses that he regularly patrols the forest and clears it of the monsters. That explains why there were so few when the Scouts arrived.

Levi assumes that this must be why Eren's parents warned him to stay away from the people of the walls. If humanity had known about Eren's ability before getting a chance to know what the younger man is like, they may have just dissected him instead of treat him like a human being. Frankly, that may still be a possibility. But Levi just can't see Eren as anything other than Eren. Cold, distant, but other times caring, protective, and fiery Eren who is good at everything and extremely damaged.

"Mmm." Eren moans suddenly, and Levi is yanked from his pondering. Levi leans forward in his seat, silver eyes glued to the brat's gorgeous face. Eren's brows furrow, before his brilliant eyes slowly blink open. He rubs his eyes, then stretches. Levi has to force himself to focus on getting answers out of Eren, rather than how sexy he looks when stretching that delicious body.

"You're finally awake, you shitty brat." Levi mutters, causing Eren's eyes to find his. The green eyed beauty frowns and sits up.

"Levi? What are you doing in my room?" Eren asks in a groggy voice that is far too alluring to be fair, running a hand through his bedraggled hair. Levi scowls, unsure if the younger man is playing dumb or isn't awake enough to remember what happened before he passed out.

"I carried your ass here after pulling you out of a fucking Titan. You've been out for an entire god damn day. Now, I don't have time to put up with any bullshit excuses. Tell me what the _fuck_ is going on or I'll kick your scrawny ass." Levi growls, impatient to finally get answers. Eren's eyes widen as he seems to remember the events Levi is speaking of, before they narrow into a deadly glare.

"Are you going to try and kill me now that you know the truth? Because I won't make it easy for you." Eren deadpans, his entire body tense as he waits to see what Levi will do. The older man sighs in exasperation.

"If I was going to fucking kill you, I would've done it when you were still asleep, you fucking idiot." The soldier retorts. Eren's lovely face is blank, those eyes so cold that Levi instinctively gets goosebumps. Those are the eyes of someone ready to kill you to protect themselves. The raven haired man feels his heart twist at the knowledge that Eren is looking at _him_ that way.

"Not if you wanted to get information out of me first." Eren replies, and Levi laments the fact that this brat is too smart for his own good. Eren's suspicion will get Levi no closer to answers, answers that he and humanity desperately need.

"For fuck's sake, Eren! I would've tied you up or something then! Why'd you even save my life if now you look so ready to end it to protect yourself? You could have just used your Titan body or whatever the fuck it is to run away and leave my ass to all those Titans." Levi finds himself asking, though he hadn't meant to. He had meant to demand that Eren tell him how he has this ability. Eren's eyes lose some of their malice at that.

"I wasn't just going to let you get eaten alive. And I wouldn't kill you, just maim you... probably. Maybe rip out your tongue so you couldn't tell anyone about me. But then what if you wrote it down? I'd have to remove your hands in that case..."

"Oi! Just... just shut the fuck up please." Levi snaps, a headache blooming. He already feels exhausted from this conversation. Not to mention that Eren's words weren't exactly the heartfelt confession the older man was begrudgingly hoping for.

"I wouldn't kill you, and I wasn't going to let you die. I think we have become... friends. Though I'm not sure, I've never had a friend before. But I think that's what you call this feeling." Eren tells the older man a little more gently, pressing a hand to his chest. Levi's eyes widen at that. It's not _exactly_ what he wanted, but the soldier will gladly accept the idea that Eren cares about him in whatever capacity.

"If we're friends, then there needs to be a certain amount of trust between us. You know that unless you're a threat, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. So you need to tell me the truth. How can you transform into a Titan?" Levi asks again, more politely this time. Eren stares at him, those intense eyes making the raven's entire body feel too warm. A moment of silence passes that is so long that Levi is afraid that Eren won't answer him.

"My father. I got this ability from him. Before I got it, my father had it, and my father took it from someone else." Eren begins, looking extremely uneasy. "When I was twelve, mere hours after my mother died, my father injected me with a substance that turns a human into a 'Pure' Titan. A Pure Titan has to eat someone who has the ability to shift before being able to return back to their old selves. That's how the ability is transferred. So, my father forced me to eat him. That's all I know about it. My father never told me who he got his ability from, or why. He just drilled into me that someday when he gives his ability to me, I must never tell anyone. Though, I guess he didn't intend to pass it to me so early..." Eren trails off, looking haunted.

Levi is in a shocked silence. He knew Eren's life was horrible, but for his own father to force his son to eat him... It makes a lot of Levi's life look like a fucking coloring book. Levi slowly digests everything the young man told him. So, Titans that have no intelligence are called "Pure" Titans. Also, there's some sort of substance out there with the ability to turn a human into one of these primitive Titans. Somehow, Eren's father had this substance, and used it on his son.

"Why did your father do it?" Levi finds himself asking, needing to know. More than he needs to know about the truth of this world, more than he needs to find a way to save humanity, he needs to understand Eren as much as he can. Even if it doesn't make sense, even if it's stupid or selfish, Levi just wants to _understand_ the beautiful man that saved his life and has him so fixated.

Eren looks down at his hands. His gorgeous face is blank, but those eyes... they contain so much betrayal and loss that it takes Levi's breath away. "He couldn't live without my mom. That day, I watched her getting eaten by an abnormal that strayed too far into the woods. When I escaped and somehow made my way home, my father lost his mind after I told him. He gave me this key before he died, and said things that I didn't understand." Eren whispers, his voice trembling like that day he visited his parent's graves, his fingers wrapping around the golden key that he always wears around his neck.

Levi is propelled out of his chair by the sound of Eren's voice. It's so lost, so fucking full of pain. Levi embraces Eren, pressing the chocolate haired man's head against his chest. The younger man flinches in surprise, before gradually relaxing. After a moment, he wraps his arms around Levi. "I haven't had a hug in so long... I forgot what it feels like..." Eren breathes, and Levi suppresses a shiver at being so close to the green eyed beauty. His heat bleeds into Levi, permeating his entire body in the most amazing way.

"It's nice, isn't it, brat?" Levi mumbles, loving the way Eren's arms feel around him. He nods.

"It is..." The two remain like that for some time, with Eren squeezing the soldier as though he will disappear at any second, and Levi committing to memory the feel of the chocolate haired beauty's body against him.

Levi is the first to pull away, though with so much reluctance that his body almost refuses to move. The Scout sits on the side of the bed, his thigh pressing against the side of Eren's knee and making goosebumps bloom all over his pale skin. "What were your parent's names?" The soldier asks, taking care to be more gentle than he usually is.

"Carla and Grisha... Yeager, I think." Eren answers, looking far away. Levi's eyes widen. _Grisha Yeager? The same man who cured the plague that swept through the walls all those years ago? That famous doctor who everyone regarded as a hero? I recall a rumor that he had disappeared around nineteen years ago._ Levi thinks to himself, shocked that the person who was so well loved within the walls is the same one who risked his family's lives to leave them.

"Your father was a well known man in the walls. He saved many people from a plague that would've ended a lot more lives if it weren't for him." Levi tells Eren, who now looks just as shocked as he is.

"Really? My dad did that?" The younger man asks, sounding amazed. "I knew he was a doctor, but he never told me about that. He didn't mention it in any of the journals he left behind, either." Eren runs a hand through his hair. Levi nods.

"What about that key he gave you, and what did he tell you before he died?" Levi questions, and Eren reflexively grips the golden object dangling from his neck.

"He said to keep it on me at all times, that it would unlock a basement within the walls. He told me that no matter what, I have to make it to that basement, that it would reveal something extremely important..." Eren says in a monotone voice, as though he is repeating the words from some distant memory. Levi's eyes widen as he stares at the key in Eren's golden hand. Grisha Yeager left something behind within the walls, something important enough that he would tell his son about it right before he died.

"We have to go to that basement. Your father clearly knew much more about this world than we do. You have to come back with me, Eren." Levi says firmly, gripping the chocolate haired man's shoulders tightly. Eren stares at him.

"But, the humans will kill me once they discovered that I can transform into a Titan." Eren argues. Levi tightens his grip.

"You're a fucking human too, aren't you? Stop talking as though you're not one of us. You're part of humanity. Therefore our fate is yours as well!" Levi shakes him, and those oceanic eyes widen.

"I'm... part of humanity?" Eren whispers. Levi nods, watching as those eyes become lachrymose. 

"Of course you fucking are, you shitty brat. Now start fucking believing it." Eren nods his head, tears spilling down his cheeks as he smiles, looking so god damn beautiful that Levi has to stare out the window to avoid kissing this stunning man silly.

* * *

_Erwin_

The Commander watches as the last body they were able to retrieve is loaded into the wagon so that they can be buried. Unfortunately they just don't have the option to bring the fallen soldiers back home. They will be outside of the walls for at least a few more weeks. So, Erwin ordered that the soldiers do what he has seen Levi do. They retrieved the embroidered Wings of Freedom from the fallen's uniforms. "Proof that they lived.", As Levi always put it.

The horde of Titans that attacked the day before cost the Scouts twenty three lives. It would have been much worse if they hadn't been spotted before they were on top of the soldiers. Still, twenty three good men and women that had dedicated their lives to humanity, gone. No matter how cold he appears on the outside, every death is acutely felt by Commander Smith.

Erwin shakes himself, forcing himself to focus, to remain calm and ensure that the Scouts get back on track with their task of constructing the outpost. Everyone has built tents in the trees, and the camp is completely set up in a one hundred meter perimeter around a particularly massive tree that the base will be built into. The tree itself has one of the biggest trunks, with multiple horizontal, extremely wide and strudy branches that are on average 3 meters wide. It's the perfect place to build the outpost.So far, the Scouts have permanently secured the building materials in the trees out of the reach of Titans, ensuring that less trips to the ground will be necessary. The Titan attack was a big set back, and a severe hit to the soldiers' spirits. But as always, Scouts are made of tougher stuff than most, and everyone gets right back to work. 

_Where are you, Levi?_ Erwin thinks, before setting off to find Hanji.


	9. Reunion

_Levi_

Levi fastens the last strap of his gear, finding that he feels much less bare with his omnidirectional-mobility gear finally back on. The raven haired man then goes to the knapsack Eren gave him, double checking that he has everything he needs. In it is one of Grisha Yeager's journals that Levi had found holds the most useful information out of all of them, the soldier having read each during the rest of his recovery.

He also has a vial of that weird perfume that Eren is adamant about him using, a good amount cured meat, a whole jar of salt (Levi's idea), a jar of grain, some water, a container of that miracle tea just in case the pain flares up, and a few fresh vegetables. Eren and Levi had agreed that they should bring as much food as they can with them while they are able to.

Levi had asked Eren what he is bringing with. He learned that the younger man is bringing the carving of his mother, some candles, more salt (also Levi's idea), as much preserved meat as possible, his own bottle of that perfume as well as a shit ton of the ingredients needed to make more of it, a knife, another one of Grisha's journals, some clothes, and various medicinal herbs that can be used for any number of reasons.

With all of Levi's things in order, he throws on the bag and walks out of his room. It's been nearly three weeks since Eren (first) saved his life. Three long weeks of healing, stressing, and basking in the glory that is Eren Yeager. In this time, Levi has learned that he has, without a fucking doubt, fallen completely in love with the ocean eyed beauty. That brat, that wonderful fucking brat, is almost all Levi thinks about anymore. He's completely whipped, and he doesn't even fucking care at this point.

However, Eren is as you would expect, completely oblivious. He doesn't know a damn thing about love or sex, as Levi learned one night when he got the courage to ask Eren if he knows what sex is while they were eating dinner. The brat had looked at him with a blank face.

"You mean the act of procreation? Yeah, it's when the male inserts his erect penis into the female's vaginal opening and implants her with his sperm." He had said completely matter-of-fact, and Levi had spit out his tea in utter shock. He erupted into a fit of coughs that had Eren rushing out of his seat to make sure the older man was okay.

"Dear fucking god. Did you read that in one of your dad's medical books or something?" Levi had wheezed, looking up at Eren with watering eyes. Eren, looking confused, had nodded.

"Yeah, why?" He asked with a tilt of his head. Levi had shaken his head, feeling hopeless about his situation.

"Nothing." He had muttered, watching as Eren had sat back down with a genuinely bewildered expression on his lovely face. The two had resumed eating, when after a moment, Levi had said. "You know that two men can do it too, right?" Eren had quirked a brow at him in doubt while he wrinkled his cute little nose.

"What would be the point of that?" He responded before taking a bite out of the quail he had caught. Levi had hung his head, feeling completely defeated.

"Yeager! Get a fucking move on already!" Levi calls from the front door, watching as an adorably nervous Eren rushes out of his room, bag over his shoulder and his lovely hair all disheveled from him continuously running his hands through it anxiously. Levi has learned that that is something Eren tends to do when he's nervous. _So fucking cute._

"Coming!" Eren calls, double checking that the hearth's embers are completely out before hurrying over to Levi. The soldier watches him in amusement, ruffling his hair when he comes up to the older man.

"Alright, let's stick to the plan. Once we get outside, you transform, detect where the highest concentration of people within the forest is, then revert and I'll carry you there with you providing directions. Got it?" Levi orders, falling seamlessly back into the role of a Captain. Eren nods. The two exit the cabin, and Levi stands near the house, taking Eren's bag, and watches as the beautiful man walks further out into the clearing.

By now, Levi has seen Eren transform quite a few times. He had asked Eren to show him how it works, and had even had the guilty pleasure of riding on Eren's shoulder around the forest once. Though he will never tell another soul about that.

However, as Eren bites into his hand, and that familiar lightening strike rocks the clearing, Levi is still amazed. He watches as Eren opens his Titan's mouth, steam billowing out as those pointy ears twitch. Eventually, Eren looks in a certain direction, his eyes squinting, before he nods his head, indicating that he's found them. It was by using this method a week ago that Eren and Levi had learned that the Scouts are still in the forest, and are about three kilometers away. Levi has just enough gas to get them that far, but they will be pushing it.

Eren lays his Titan down, before severing the link. Levi hurries over to help pull the ocean eyed beauty out. Once he's had a second to recover, Eren stands, taking his bag back from the Captain. "They're still three kilometers that way. They're near a river that runs through that part of the forest, and by the looks of it, near a particularly large tree that I've climbed a few times while in my Titan form. I know exactly where it is, it's practically a straight shot." Eren says while pointing. Levi nods. "I still think we should use my Titan to run some of the way to save as much gas as possible."

"No. I don't want to risk them hearing the footsteps and moving or worse, trying to attack." Levi says, repeating what he's already told Eren quite a few times when this same conversation has come up in the past. Eren sighs, just as he always does when Levi says that.

"Like I've said, I'll just run for a kilometer, it'll be far enough away that they won't hear me." The younger man argues. Levi shakes his head.

"No, it's too risky. I'll be able to get us there if I'm careful. Just trust me, brat, there's a reason why they call me Humanity's Strongest." Levi uses the nickname he hates so much to try and reassure the anxious brat. Eren gives him a doubtful look.

"Humanity's Strongest is not the same as Humanity's Smartest." The brat retorts, earning him a slap upside the head from Levi. "Ow!" He groans, cupping his head and glaring at Levi, who smirks.

"Watch it, Yeager. Once we get back, I'll be your commanding officer. Now, climb on my back." Levi instructs, and Eren obeys begrudgingly, complaining all the while. This makes Levi chuckle, glad that the brat is here with him. He was so afraid that Eren would change his mind about finally deciding to come back with Levi. The raven doesn't know what he would've done if the green eyed beauty had decided to stay. _Probably tie him up and force him to come with me._ Levi thinks seriously as Eren wraps himself around the black haired man. There's no way that he can stand to be apart from the brat now. "Are you ready?" Levi asks, and Eren hesitantly nods, hanging on for dear life.

Levi fires the hooks, loving the feeling that spreads through his body as he shoots through the air. Eren gasps, holding on to the older man tighter. The two of them fly through the trees, and after a moment, Eren relaxes. "This is amazing!" The breathtaking man laughs, sounding elated. This brings a small smile to Levi's face as they continue forward, making great time. The Scout follows Eren's directions, feeling the weight on his shoulders lifting more and more the closer he gets to his comrades. However, Eren seems to grow more nervous, his body tense.

Levi hears the voices first. So many of them, only a few hundred meters away. Eren grips Levi's shirt. Right when his gas canisters start to sputter, the raven rounds a tree, landing on a branch, as an entire camp comes into view. His heart soars as his eyes take in the sight of numerous Scouts working hard on a half constructed building high up in the trees. They shout to each other, some hanging from the branches as they keep an eye on their surroundings.

"L-Levi?" A familiar, all too loud voice screeches, and the Captain's eyes fall on Hanji, who is perched in a tree a few meters away, looking like she saw a ghost.

"Shitty glasses." Levi replies, and Hanji screams in joy before shooting towards him. Eren climbs off of Levi's back and stands on the branch beside him. Hanji barrels into Levi, enveloping him in a bone crushing hug that almost has him falling out of the tree. Eren manages to catch them, helping the silver eyed man regain his balance as the Squad Leader continues to squeeze the life out of him, making his not quite healed ribs ache. 

"We thought you were dead! Oh my god, how are you alive?" The red head weeps into the black haired man's shoulder. Levi decides to put up with the hug and awkwardly pats her on the back.

"Oi, shitty glasses, I broke some ribs and you're currently re-breaking them. Ease up." The Captain grumbles, and Hanji quickly releases him, tears gushing out of those burgundy eyes.

"You broke your ribs? How? Where have you _been?_ How did you find us? How have you survived in these woods alone?" The mad scientist rapid fires questions, instantly giving Levi a headache in a way that no one but Hanji is able to.

"I wasn't alone. This brat saved my life." Levi deadpans, pointing at Eren with his thumb. Hanji just now notices a very wide eyed and awed looking Eren. Her entire face goes slack as she stares at chocolate haired beauty.

"Holy shit, this is the most beautiful person I've ever seen." Hanji breathes, sounding unusually mystified. However, what Levi said seems to sink in then, and she looks completely shocked. "Wait... are you telling me that this person was _outside_ the walls?" She asks, pointing at Eren quite rudely and looking at Levi.

"Yes, he's lived in this forest his whole life. We'll tell you the whole story once we meet up with everyone." Levi responds, wishing that Hanji would stop being so fucking stupid. She must be giving Eren a horrible impression of them.

"Your hair is so lovely. I didn't know people have hair such a bright color." Eren whispers to Hanji, staring at her with a starstruck expression on his stunning face. Hanji stares right back at him, before a wide grin splits her face in half. She grabs Eren's hands, leaning in close.

"My name is Hanji Zoe, leader of the 4th Squad. What is your name?" She gushes, far too loud to be good for poor Levi's ears. The Captain is about to pull her off of Eren, when the ocean eyed beauty responds.

"Eren, Eren Yeager, miss." He says hesitantly, seemingly overwhelmed. At the sound of his voice at a more normal volume, Hanji gives a shriek that has Levi hurriedly covering his ears.

"Even your voice is gorgeous! Your eyes are the most amazing shade of green. And your skin is so smooth! Wow, you have to tell me everything about you, Eren." The crazy red head exclaims, her eyes sparkling as she stares at Eren.

"Captain Levi? Is that you?" The familiar voice of Petra can be heard, and Levi turns in the direction of the sound. He gives a nod of his head towards his subordinate, feeling relieved to see a member of his squad again. She immediately bursts into tears, hurrying over to their now crowded branch and saluting him emotionally. "I'm so glad that you're alive, Sir!" She blubbers, causing Levi to cringe because it's just disgusting when snot drips out of her nose, but he finds that he doesn't mind so much in this moment.

"Glad to see you're alright, Petra. How are the other idiots?" The Captains asks, gesturing for her to stop saluting. She's positively bawling now.

"O-Oruo got a splinter and has been complaining about it for three days, but other than that, the members of the Levi Squad are good, S-Sir!" Petra hiccups, wiping her eyes.

The reunion is crazy, with at least fifty people bursting into tears like a bunch of babies. Everyone is ecstatic, yelling like mad people and cheering. Erwin gives Levi a bear hug that takes him completely by surprise. By the end of it, Levi has a massive headache.

Everyone is starstruck by Eren; the soldiers practically swooning when they look at him. When they learn that Eren is from outside the walls, they explode with questions, and that Armin brat looks like he's absolutely fallen in love with the ocean eyed beauty. The gloomy brat, Mikasa, also can't take her unusually sparkly eyes off of him. When she shivers, (likely not from cold but from shaking Eren's hand), he takes a deep red scarf out of his bag and wraps it around her.

"Here, it can get chilly in the woods. Wear this." Eren tells her. When she stares at him, he gives a her a slight, very rare and nervous smile. "There, it's warm, isn't it?" He adds, before shaking a new recruit named Connie's hand in greeting. Mikasa blushes even redder than the scarf, burying her face in it with a dreamy expression. Levi wants to kick all of their asses.

Eventually, Erwin and Levi manage to tear Eren away from his adoring fans, and the three of them plus the addition of Mike and Hanji, head to Erwin's tent so that they can hear the whole, long story of where Levi has been, and who the mysterious Eren is.


	10. In Awe

_Eren_

Eren is... amazed, shocked, overwhelmed, excited, frightened, overjoyed, nervous, and countless other things. He's never seen so many incredible things. People with eyes the color of ice and gold and freshly overturned earth, with hair the color of blood and sunshine, all different sizes and shapes and ages. The Scouts, or the Survey Corps, Levi told him they're called, are incredible, and the Titan shifter instantly falls in love with them. Their passion, their drive, their tenacity, and their mission, all of it speaks to him. They all hate the Titans almost as much as he does.

Erwin, the person in charge, Hanji, and a man named Mike listen to Eren and Levi's tale with shocked and fascinated expressions. They pepper the eighteen year old with questions, and he struggles to keep track of them all. It's so overwhelming to be around so many people, let alone speak to them. He learns that his name can sound many different ways when spoken by so many different voices.

By the time the story is over, Eren is absolutely exhausted, and starving. Levi seems to notices this, because he turns to his comrades. "Oi, that's enough for now. Eren looks like he's about to faint." The raven haired man tells them. They all nod in understanding, though are clearly reluctant to let him go. Eren and Levi haven't yet told them about the younger man's ability, deciding to do so later on; so it's clear that the soldiers are unsure about parts of the pair's story.

"You're right, Levi. Hanji, grab Ackerman and Arlert and tell them to show Eren to the new recruit's tent so he can get some well deserved rest." Commander Erwin orders, and the boisterous woman with the mesmerizing hair nods.

"No, Eren will sleep in my tent with me." Levi interjects, looking very serious. Everyone appears extremely surprised by his outburst. Eren feels a wave of relief, because he would rather sleep by someone he knows.

"Fine, but your tent hasn't been made yet. While it's being put up, Eren can get to know the Scouts that are his age. Hanji." The very big, very blonde man says, and the giddy woman all but skips out of the large fabric structure they are all in.

Before too long, she returns with the bright eyed man and the girl Eren lent his scarf to. They both make a strange gesture, placing their fists over their hearts, before looking at Eren with kind smiles on their faces. "Eren, come with us, we'll show you to the tent and give you a better introduction to everyone." The blonde, who he thinks is named Armin, says excitedly. Eren nods, waving goodbye to a tense looking Levi and following them out.

"I'm not sure if you remember, but I'm Armin. And this is Mikasa." Armin tells him, looking very happy. Eren tries to smile, because his mother always told him that it makes people more comfortable around you.

"I remember. It's nice to meet the both of you. I'm not very used to people, so I'm sorry if I come off a bit strange." Eren says, extremely nervous for some reason. What if they don't like him? What if he offends them in some way? This is his first time being around people his age.

Armin grins. "You're not strange! Have you not met many people?" He asks curiously, and Eren runs a hand through his hair.

"Um... actually Levi was the first person I've ever seen other than my parents." The chocolate haired man admits, and they both stare at him with shocked expressions. His heart sinks. _Shit, I've already said something weird._

"Have you been outside the walls your entire life?" Mikasa asks with her soothing, monotone voice. She looks quite different from the rest of the people Eren has met. Her hair is darker, her eyes more almond shaped, her irises more of a charcoal color. She's very beautiful, and fascinating to Eren.

"Yes, I was born in this forest." The shifter replies, and the two soldiers are quiet for a moment before they explode with questions.

"Really? That's amazing! Have you ever seen the ocean?" Armin asks, his intriguing blue eyes sparkling.

"How did you survive out here for so long? Are you strong?" Mikasa questions, less over enthusiastic than Armin but still looking very interested. Eren gives them an uncomfortable smile and rests his hand on the back of his neck.

"My father told me about the ocean, but I've never seen it myself. I have been to the salt lake near here, and my dad said it was similar, but much smaller. And my parents taught me how to survive. I don't know if I would call myself strong but I can hold my own..." Eren answers them, very flustered. Mikasa seems to notice, because she rests a hand on Armin's shoulder.

"He must be tired. The Commander kept him in that tent for hours. Let's bring him to the others so he can sit down. Come on Eren, I'll carry you there." The black haired girl says calmly, holding out her arms to him. Eren tilts his head at her.

"I think I may be a bit heavy." He says gingerly, not wanting to insult her. Armin simply laughs good-naturedly.

"Trust me, Mikasa is stronger than both of us combined." The blonde assures him before using his gear to shoot off the branch.

Eren learns that indeed, that Mikasa girl is really freaking strong. She carries him as though he weighs nothing, and they all land on a large branch that has two sizable "tents" perched on it. She sets him down slowly, as though reluctant to let go, but Eren hardly notices because he's too focused on the loud cacophony of voices drifting out of the nearest tent. "This is where all the new recruits sleep. Are you also going to be staying here?" Armin asks Eren, who doesn't yet begin to enter. His nerves are making it difficult.

"No, Levi said that I'm going to share his tent with him." Eren replies, running a hand through his hair as he tries to gather his courage. The two of them look bewildered by his answer.

"Captain Levi did?" Armin questions, and Eren tilts his head in confusion.

"Yes, unless there are two Levi's in the Survey Corps?" The Titan shifter says seriously. The two cadets, Eren has learned they're called, look at each other before gazing back at the green eyed man.

"It's just, that doesn't sound like the Captain at all. Normally he just looks angry and wants everyone to stay away from him." The blonde explains, and Eren's brows furrow.

"The angry part sounds like him, but he always spends time with me. Even when I'm doing something mundane like cooking dinner or checking the traps. The only time he isn't near me is when I'm sleeping or taking care of hygiene related things." At this, the two of them really look shocked. It confuses the life out of Eren, who wonders if he perhaps said something wrong.

"Oh my gosh, is that Eren?" A young, very short woman with bright blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes exclaims from the entrance of the tent. At her words, several other people pop out, all appearing eager and excited. They rush towards him, dragging him inside while talking animatedly.

For a couple of hours, they all talk with one another, Eren getting to know them while they excitedly ask him about himself. He's careful with what he tells them, but soon he feels extremely comfortable around them. Before long, they are all joking with one another while they tell Eren fascinating stories about life inside the walls.

Eventually they all decide to eat, and Eren fishes some cured meat out of his bag that has all of them staring in wonder. One girl in particular, Sasha, is actually drooling. "Do you guys want some? I can always catch some more." Eren offers, fishing more out of his bag. Sasha starts to cry, ranting about how he must be some kind of god, while the rest look extremely thankful.

By the time they're finished eating, Eren can hardly keep his eyes open. He sits in between Armin and Mikasa, who have been stuck to his side all evening. The three of them have struck up some sort of bond that makes Eren feel warm inside.

The tent flap opens, and a very weary looking Levi enters. Everyone but Eren quickly gets to their feet, doing that weird gesture and saying, "Sir!" in overly loud voices that has Eren's drooping eyes opening a bit more. It seems that Levi really is someone important among the Scouts. Though, judging by the celebration that took place when everyone discovered he was alive, that much is obvious.

"Come on brat, you look like you're going to fall asleep right here. Let's go." Levi tells Eren, walking over and grasping the younger man's hand to pull him up. Everyone is watching the two of them with wide eyes.

"I'm too tired to move. I'll just sleep here tonight, Levi." Eren replies, rubbing his eyes. The cadets gasp at that, and Eren glances at them questioningly. Levi frowns and starts dragging Eren out.

"No, you're sleeping with me. I don't like it if you're out of my sight for too long, but Erwin talked my fucking ear off or else I would've come to get to you sooner." Levi grumbles, sounding more irritated than usual. Another gasp can be heard. The silver eyed man levels the soldiers with a deadly glare.

Just before they exit the tent, Eren glances back and gives everyone a tentative wave. They all wish him goodnight, most of them wearing wide grins that confuse Eren, but he's too tired to read into it. Levi hurriedly guides them outside, before suddenly hoisting Eren into his arms and shooting off into the air. The Titan shifter quickly grabs hold of the taller man, surprised by their sudden leap into the air.

The two of them fly to another branch about fifty meters away, where a lone tent sits. This one is a bit removed from the others, and is a tad smaller than the rest of the tents that are clearly meant for multiple people. When they land, Levi doesn't let go of Eren, but instead carries him into the tent where a single lantern burns.

The tent is nice, with two cots, and a small little table where the lantern rests. However, even when inside the tent, Levi doesn't let go of Eren, and now just stands there. The green eyed man notices that the Captain looks unusually upset. He rests his hand against Levi's cheek, trying to get those silver eyes to meet his. "Is something wrong?" Eren asks sleepily, and the older man looks at him without saying anything for a while.

"I told them about your ability. They want you to show them tomorrow." Levi finally says, his voice low, his eyes dark. Eren tenses at that.

"I thought we decided to tell them later on?" Eren asks slowly, anxiety and a mild amount of anger surging through him. Why would Levi tell them when Eren wasn't there? Eren didn't even get a chance to defend himself. The eighteen year old seriously considers using his Titan to leave, to go back to his little cabin where its safe. Levi seems to pick up on this, because he squeezes Eren tighter.

"I thought it would be best if I told them as soon as possible. And I didn't want you to be there for their initial reactions." Levi finishes lowly, an edge to his tone. Eren's eyes widen when he realizes that they were probably extremely hostile. He feels his anger diminish somewhat after seeing that the raven was just trying to spare his feelings. The younger man sighs.

"So? Are they going to try and kill me?" Eren asks, sounding exhausted even to his own ears. Levi tightens his grip while a glint enters his eyes.

"They wouldn't fucking dare try. But no, I managed to convince them that you can be trusted. It will take some work, but once they see with their own eyes that you're not a threat, things will calm down." Levi replies, and Eren nods. He supposes that is the best he can ask for at this point. Resigned, and so very tired, he wiggles in Levi's grip.

"Okay. Let's just get some sleep for now. Let me down." Eren says, but Levi doesn't let go. He frowns up at the silver eyed man.

"You're sleeping in my bed with me." Levi states matter-of-factly, before dropping Eren on a cot and holding the squirming shifter in place while he also climbs in.

"Levi! I'm not a kid, I'm not going to share a bed with you!" Eren complains, irritated. Levi is treating him like his mother did when he was six. The raven grunts and pins Eren down, hovering over him with a very serious expression on his attractive face.

"Stay. If I'm close to you, no one will try anything. I know that you're an idiot, but everyone in this camp was fucking drooling over you, not to mention that I'm still not sure about your safety. So you will fucking sleep here so I can keep an eye on you, got it?" Levi all but growls, and Eren stops struggling. He blinks his green eyes up at Levi, his heart doing that weird thing that it tends to do whenever he's around Levi. It's beating too fast, making it hard to think.

"Drooling? Did they think I would taste good or something?" Eren asks, completely perplexed by Levi's words. The raven haired man groans in frustration.

"Yes. They think you would taste good while they're fucking you." Levi sighs, looking utterly exasperated. Eren's brows furrow. 

"I don't understand, what does that mean?" Eren has no idea what Levi is talking about. Is he delirious from exhaustion or something? The usual dark circles under the Captain's eyes _do_ look more pronounced, now that Eren is thinking about it.

"Sex! They want to have sex with you, Eren! God damn, there's a limit to how fucking ignorant someone can be." The older man grumbles, and Eren bursts into laughter. The idea of Levi's words is just so ridiculous.

"I don't think anyone is interested in reproducing while in the middle of Titan territory." He chuckles, completely dismissing the prospect. Levi growls, looking genuinely pissed off now, dampening Eren's amusement somewhat.

"You fucking brat, sex isn't just between men and women and it isn't just for reproduction. Most people do it because it feels good and because they love the person they're doing it with. And most, if not everyone, would be more than willing to do it with you, maybe even against your will. Seriously, what don't you fucking understand about this?" Levi exclaims, seeming more passionate and heated about this than Eren thinks he's ever seen him about anything. This sobers him, and he starts to realize that this is seeming to really bother the raven haired man.

"It feels good? And is something you do with someone you love? Like a husband and wife?" Eren asks for clarification, genuinely stupefied by this. The books made it seem completely mundane and simply something one does out of a desire to produce children. It doesn't even occur to him to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about this conversation.

"Yes, you fucking idiot, it feels fucking good, especially with someone you care about. But it's not just between two married people, and again, isn't just between a man and a woman. You and I could have sex just fine. Do you fucking get it now? That's why I would feel better if I can make sure no one tries anything on you." Levi mutters, and Eren notices that he is breathing heavily. This seems to be a topic that Levi is worked up about. He must be really worried about Eren to get so bent out of shape.

"I still don't quite understand why you think people would want to have sex with me, I mean you don't want to so I'm sure no one else does. But I can see that you're very serious about this, so I'll do as you ask." Eren reasons, trying to ease the other man's mind. Levi's eyes darken considerably, and his handsome face is so intense that Eren shivers instinctively.

"Not every human is the same, Eren. But if they're anything at all like me, then I should be fucking out of my mind with worry. Now just fucking go to sleep before I do something I regret, for the love of god." Levi breathes before collapsing onto the cot, looking utterly spent. Eren, more confused than ever, simply tells Levi a hesitant goodnight that he gets no response to.

Finding that sleep is not so readily available anymore, Eren stares up at the ceiling of the tent, trying to wrap his head around everything he experienced today, and the confusing things Levi said.


	11. A Solitary Hell

_Levi_

Levi stares down at Eren, pinned beneath him in the cot, looking so god damn beautiful with the way the soft light of the lantern kisses that perfect skin and makes those shocking eyes glow. _God damn it, what the hell am I doing?_ Levi wonders, but his body just won't move. He can feel Eren's addictive heat beneath his palm that presses down on the green eyed beauty's chest.

"Stay. If I'm close to you, no one will try anything. I know that you're an idiot, but everyone in this camp was fucking drooling over you, not to mention that I'm still not sure about your safety. So you will fucking sleep here so I can keep an eye on you, got it?" He instructs the Titan shifter harshly. The older man's earlier jealousy is flaring up as he recalls the way everyone was all but eye fucking Eren. It was infuriating, and it took every ounce of self control not to start lopping heads off.

"Drooling? Did they think I would taste good or something?" The brat asks, and Levi feels like smashing his head into the ground. How the hell can one person be so oblivious? While the Captain normally finds it endearing, after the fucking intense conversation he had with Erwin and them, he just doesn't have the patience to entertain this anymore.

"Yes. They think you would taste good while they're fucking you." Levi blurts, and feels like disappearing. What the hell is he on about? This is neither the time nor place to discuss such things. Not to mention that his _own_ words piss him off. He can easily imagine any one of the soldiers helping themselves to that tight little body, and it makes him fucking sick right down to his soul. He'd sooner fucking kill Eren than let anyone else have him.

"I don't understand, what does that mean?" Levi can't take it anymore. This conversation is just making him angrier and angrier. Why can't Eren just understand? Surely he had to have noticed the looks everyone was giving him, the way people were tripping over themselves to shake his hand and introduce themselves. What did Eren think that meant?

"Sex! They want to have sex with you, Eren! God damn, there's a limit to how fucking ignorant someone can be." Levi snaps, once again getting infuriated from his own words. He hates that they're true. He hates that Eren can't see it. He fucking hates that he has to spell it out for the green eyed beauty because he doesn't even want to think about it, let alone say it out loud.

Eren's sudden, harsh laughter leaves Levi astounded. Fucking astounded. Why the fuck would Eren laugh at that? What the _hell_ is funny about anything Levi just said? "I don't think anyone is interested in reproducing while in the middle of Titan territory." A growl escapes Levi's mouth and Eren seems a bit taken aback by this.

"You fucking brat, sex isn't just between men and women and it isn't just for reproduction. Most people do it because it feels good and because they love the person they're doing it with. And most, if not everyone, would be more than willing to do it with you, maybe even against your will. Seriously, what don't you fucking understand about this?" The worlds just fall out of Levi's mouth and he genuinely doesn't even know what he's doing anymore. Why is he saying all of this? What does he think will come from him explaining sex to Eren when said temptation is pinned underneath him?

"It feels good? And is something you do with someone you love? Like a husband and wife?" Eren asks, looking so confused and sexy and vulnerable like this. It would take no effort at all to just bend his head down, capture those lips that have Levi so fucked up and make them his. Eren is so god damn warm and the tent is cold inside and fuck, Levi would do _anything_ to feel the heat from more of that silky skin.

"Yes, you fucking idiot, it feels fucking good, especially with someone you care about. But it's not just between two married people, and again, isn't just between a man and a woman. You and I could have sex just fine. Do you fucking get it now? That's why I would feel better if I can make sure no one tries anything on you." Levi all but moans, and instantly wants to suck the words out of the air. Where the _fuck_ had that come from? "You and I could have sex just fine"? Why the hell had he said that?

Now he can't stop picturing it. Eren, shivering underneath him, those brilliant eyes hooded in desire, fixed on Levi, watching his every move as he slowly loosens Eren up. Every now and again Eren would moan breathlessly, his body jerking when Levi hit a particularly good spot with his fingers. The green eyed stunner would be unbelievably hot, almost burning the soldier as he replaced his finger's with his erection. He'd whisper Eren's name, full of love and very gently, before slowly pushing into him, his whole body exploding with pleasure as he felt how warm and wet Eren would be--

"I still don't quite understand why you think people would want to have sex with me, I mean you don't want to so I'm sure no one else does. But I can see that you're very serious about this, so I'll do as you ask." Eren's placating voice interrupts his very vivid fantasy, and Levi realizes that he's panting. His dick is so fucking hard that it feels like its going to burst. _Did I really just almost cum from the mere thought of fucking Eren?_ He wonders, horrified that he almost lost control of himself like that while literally on top of the object of his desire. Though the idea does _nothing_ to soften his dick.

Levi wonders just how it is possible for one person to be so fucking blind. Here he is, literally panting at the thought of making love to Eren, and while doing so, Eren states matter-of-fact that Levi _doesn't want to have sex with him._ What the hell is even going on? The silver eyed man wonders for a moment if Eren is just toying with him. But one glance at that genuinely concerned and apologetic face throws that idea right out the god damn window. Levi almost wishes that Eren were just messing with him. That would be easier to deal with than this almost frightening innocence.

"Not every human is the same, Eren. But if they're anything at all like me, then I should be fucking out of my mind with worry. Now just fucking go to sleep before I do something I regret, for the love of god." The raven concludes, utterly defeated, as he falls back on the cot. He's painfully aware of the heat radiating off of Eren like some kind of invisible force just sucking Levi in. When he hears Eren's insecure "goodnight" he almost loses it and tears the ocean eyed beauty's clothes right the fuck off. But instead, he just lies there, staring at the flickering flame of the lantern as he just listens to Eren's breathing.

His mind drifts to the conversation he had with his comrades. They were afraid, suspicious, angry, but most of all, fascinated. Erwin's stupidly blue eyes had basically sparkled, while Hanji's all but lit up like a fucking kid. Mike had been the most hesitant, but eventually declared that Eren's scent was human and very good. Whatever the fuck that meant. There had been a lot of yelling at first, a few threats, but eventually that all died down. He knew that the only reason why they took it that well is because those three have a good head on their shoulders, and aren't ruled by fear. But what about the rest of the Survey Corps? Or even the people of the walls? Those old fucks in power would no doubt order that Eren be killed.

Levi is in the midst of imagining all the ways he would dismember anyone who tries to harm Eren, when he realizes that said beauty has fallen asleep. His breathing is deep and even, music to Levi's ears. It's such a serene sound. The silver eyed man slowly turns over to face him, careful not to wake him, as he gazes at the angelic face of Eren, who slumbers deeply. The soldier just watches him for a long while. He wants to commit this moment to memory.

Levi realizes that he has thrust Eren into a very dangerous world. He doesn't know what kind of future waits for the man he loves, and that fucking terrifies Levi more than anything. That fact scares him more than the idea of humanity being devoured. He swears to himself in that moment, that if things seem to get too dangerous for Eren, he will whisk him away back to that little cabin, and stay with him until they both grow old and wither away. Who fucking cares about humanity, about the world? His world is right next to him, sleeping peacefully.

The silver eyed man slowly, carefully, lifts his hand, tentatively brushing Eren's long hair out of his face. The caramel skinned beauty doesn't stir. This emboldens Levi, who runs the back of his fingers down Eren's cheek. It's unbelievably smooth and soft, not at all like the skin of a man. There's no texture of facial hair, no imperfections. It's almost eerie.

Still, Eren doesn't move. Levi touches those crazy long lashes, feeling their wispy caress. It tickles. Even more bold, the raven swipes his thumb across Eren's full lips. He's shocked at how utterly silky they are. He second guesses if he felt correctly, and does it again. Then a third time, and eventually just rests his finger there. They really are that fucking soft, more so than anything else he is felt in his life. It's like feeling the gentle texture of a flower petal between your fingers.

Eren sighs in his sleep, his mouth parting slightly as he rolls over to also face Levi. Their faces are only inches apart. The silver eyed man's breath hitches. That familiar but exotic scent washes over him. Eren is insanely beautiful, to the point where it almost physically hurts to look at him. The sleeping beauty licks his lips, that sinfully pink tongue darting out and teasing Levi. The soldier has to cover his mouth to muffle the wanton moan that escapes him at the sight. _This is too fucking much._ He briefly panics, thinking Eren may have heard him and will wake up.

The seconds tick by, and the chocolate haired angel continues to sleep tranquilly. Unable to take it anymore, Levi frees his throbbing member from his pants, deeply breathing in Eren's intoxicating scent as he strokes himself. He imagines licking those delicious lips, how the texture would feel against his tongue. He's already close and he's just started. Levi pictures pressing a plethora of kisses to the inside of Eren's mouthwatering thighs, feeling the green eyed beauty tremble at the sensation. _"Levi",_ he dreams of Eren saying his name against his lips as he kisses the breathtaking man.

Eren moans suddenly in his sleep, and it boot kicks Levi right over the fucking edge, the silver eyed man just barely managing to catch his cum in his hand before it splatters all over Eren's thighs. The thought of that however already has him half hard again. _Fuck._ Levi thinks, disgusted by the feel of his ejaculate in his hands. He quickly but carefully gets out of bed and finds some tissues that are meant for when one uses the restroom, and wipes his hand off. After pouring some of the water from his bag on his palms, he tiredly drags himself back to the bed.

He genuinely doesn't know what to do about this. Levi doesn't want to push Eren away or make the lovely man hate him, but he just can't keep doing this. Everything in his body tells him to just fucking _tell_ Eren how he feels. The brat probably wouldn't understand, but Levi could teach him. He would take it slow, make sure Eren learns gently...

Fully hard again, Levi scrubs his hand over his face as he stares at the ceiling. He needs to come up with some sort of plan. First, he needs to stop acting like Eren's friend. He'll gradually begin to become more familiar, more flirtatious. Even an oblivious idiot like Eren would eventually understand that something has changed. He'll escalate it, bolder touches, more intimate words, before finally telling the chocolate haired man how he feels. He just needs to get Eren used to the idea first. He'll tell Eren more about the difference between romance and friendship, casually of course, so as not to be too obvious. Eren is smart, he should be able to figure it out eventually if Levi is tactful enough.

Feeling more at ease now that he has a course of action, Levi finally allows sleep to carry him away. He dreams of Eren, in his bed, riding him and crying out his name like a prayer.

"Levi. Levi, wake up." An all too beautiful voice pokes through his subconscious as the solider blissfully remains in a dream world where Eren is telling him that he loves him on an endless loop. He smiles in his sleep. "Hey, you look strange when you're smiling happily like that while drooling. Wake up." At the mention of "drool" and him in the same sentence, Levi's eyes snap open.

His gaze focuses on all too gorgeous Eren, hair sticking up in multiple almost impressive directions, looking at him with his typical blank expression. Though, he has been showing more emotion lately.

Levi rubs his eyes, feeling unusually warm. He realizes with a start that it's because his body is tangled with Eren's. His knee is between Eren's legs, his other arm wrapped around his tight little body securely, while the green eyed beauty's own arms are firmly at his sides. Levi's first instinct is to quickly pull away, but then he remembers his plan.

So, he simply pulls Eren flush against him, snuggling in deeper as he closes his eyes again and smiles softly while giving him a light squeeze. "Morning, brat." He murmurs, feeling extremely content. Eren wriggles but Levi doesn't move an inch.

"You're being unusually touchy this morning. Are you still half asleep?" Eren asks, his face buried against Levi's neck. The silver eyed man shivers when he feels the temptress' breath brush against his sensitive skin. _Phase one of the plan, let Eren know that something is different from just the typical friendship._

"I want to hold you. It may not be normal but it's what I want to do. Do you dislike it?" Levi responds, the soft strands of Eren's hair tickling his face.

"No, I don't dislike it, it's just different. This isn't like you." _Success. Even this idiot has realized that this isn't what people normally do._ Levi pulls away slightly to look Eren in the eyes.

"Maybe I've wanted to do this for a long time now." The silver eyed man says seriously, staring deep into those bottomless emerald pools. He watches as Eren looks back at him, seemingly completely confused. As expected, but at least he doesn't appear grossed out or against it in any way.

"Alright. It feels good, so I'm okay with it." Eren replies then, before hugging Levi closer and snuggling against him. Levi just about has a fucking heart attack and is so glad that his thigh is holding down his erection because it is hard as a fucking rock and just waiting to burst. _What is he, some kind of natural at seduction?_ Levi wonders hopelessly, getting the strange sense that he may be in over his head.


	12. Adjustments

_Eren_

It's been a few weeks since Eren came to the Survey Corps camp. It has been a bit difficult to adjust, having to get used to the utter lack of quiet even during the night as there seems to always be something going on. He's had to wrap his mind around the fact that everywhere he looks, there's _someone_ there, instead of the utterly still forest he has been surrounded by his whole life.

He has to get used to many people calling his name, greeting him or starting conversations; which happens very often. The chocolate haired man rarely has a moment to himself anymore. Even though he has been revealed as a Titan shifter to everyone, after some time, everyone has accepted it. This is largely because Eren has helped save them multiple times from Titans that are attracted to the call of the human flesh that is so abundant here. After seeing how he would push himself to the limit just to ensure that no one dies, after witnessing first hand the way the Titans eagerly try to devour him, all of the soldiers have accepted their unlikely new comrade. They are now calling him "Humanity's Last Hope", though Eren doesn't care about that. He's just content with the fact that he's finally a part of humanity after feeling like he wasn't his entire life.

Armin, Mikasa, and him have become inseparable, the three possessing a bond that transcends rational thought. It is a bond forged by watching out for each other, taking care of each other, and drawing solace in each other's presences. Eren has also grown close to Hanji, who studies him closely to better learn about his ability. The boisterous woman was difficult to grow accustomed to, but eventually Eren finds that he enjoys her shrill voice when she gets worked up about a new experiment.

The other cadets from the 104th and he are also very close, seeing as they are all similar ages. They are all so welcoming, adopting Eren into the fold more so than even the other soldiers. He gets on best with Christa, Connie, Sasha, Marco, and Reiner in particular. The only people he doesn't always get along with are Jean and Ymir, more so Jean than the freckled girl who has a foul mouth.

For some reason, Jean and Eren never cease butting heads with one another. They bicker over anything and everything, sometimes even resorting to brawls with Eren consistently being the victor, much to horseface's disdain. It's become somewhat of a ritual now for the two to just go at each other while everyone cheers Eren on, other than Christa and Marco, who always attempt to diffuse the situation like the saints they are. If Levi catches them, he forces them both to clean every tent from top to bottom.

During these past weeks, everyone has trained Eren diligently in what it means to be a soldier. He has mastered the omnidirectional-mobility gear, succeeded in hand to hand combat, and is quite good with a blade, eliminating Titans left and right. Though, he still prefers that addictive feeling of tearing their flesh apart with his bare hands, and indulges in his passion as often as his superiors allow him.

Eren has been tasked with giving lessons to each soldier on how to live off the land. He teaches them how to hunt, how to make and cast nets, which herbs are good for what, which plants are poisonous and which are edible, and how to start a farm for a steady food supply. He shows them how to clean animals and fish, and how to cure their meat with the plentiful amount of salt he has harvested. He tries his best to keep his lessons interesting, and it seems as though everyone genuinely enjoys them. Though the work is hard, they all witness first hand how fulfilling it is to to be able to turn this intimidating forest into their own oasis. There is always fresh food on the tables now, the field rations hardly necessary anymore thanks to Eren's teachings.

Eren and the Levi Squad, along with Armin and Mikasa on occasion, have been back to Eren's cabin multiple times. Hanji and Erwin had poured over everything in there, learning as much as they could about Eren's past and his father. The cabin's garden and farm produces a steady stream of food for the soldiers, though they rely mostly on foraging and hunting for now.

Two thirds of the Scouts are set to return back to the wall in a week's time. The soldiers that showed the most promise during Eren's lessons have been chosen to stay behind and look after the newly constructed outpost, the first base outside the walls that humanity has ever constructed. His students had wanted him to stay behind with them, but Erwin, Hanji, and of course Levi were adamant about Eren going to the walls.

Speaking of Levi, the silver eyed man has been acting incredibly strange. He used to not be a very physical person, only touching Eren when he needed to, but now he touches the green eyed man whenever he can. Whether it be draping his arm around the shifter's shoulders, holding onto his waist, linking arms with him, running his fingers against Eren's cheek idly, playing with his ever lengthening hair, or cuddling him whenever they fall asleep and wake up, Levi seems to always seek some sort of skinship with Eren. Though, he tends not to do it _as much_ when there are a lot of other people around.

Though Eren enjoys it, very much if he were to be honest with himself, it leaves him feeling terribly confused. He doesn't know why Levi does it, seeing as Eren hasn't observed others behaving that way with the people they're close to. He also doesn't understand his own reaction to it. Every time Levi touches him, his heart goes crazy, and his skin becomes far too warm. It's uncomfortable, and makes it hard to think straight whenever he's around his closest companion. Though Armin and Mikasa are almost like family now, there's something different about Levi. Eren thinks about him even when he's not with him, misses him when they're apart, and feels a dizzying rush of elation whenever they're together. He has chalked it up to being some sort of special attachment because Levi was the first human Eren met and grew close to other than his parents.

Eren is thinking about this topic as he walks down one of the halls of the outpost, on his way to visit Hanji for their regular check up. The green eyed man is so lost in thought that he doesn't spot the person in front of him before running face first into them. Eren stumbles back, quickly looking up with an apology already falling from his lips. When he sees that it is Thomas, he relaxes a bit. The usually friendly man is smiling at Eren, though there is something in his brown eyes that seems off.

"I'm so sorry Thomas, I didn't even notice you standing there." Eren apologizes, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. He takes a step back from Thomas, putting a more comfortable distance between them, but Thomas moves forward, quickly eating up that space. Eren cocks his head to the side in question. 

"Were you lost in thought?" Thomas asks suddenly, and Eren is a little perplexed by his question, because it sounded a little too intense. Eren nods hesitantly, unsure of why his friend is acting so strangely. Normally the friendly man is joking around and never looks too serious unless there is some sort of danger. 

"Yes, I was. I really should have paid more attention to where I was going. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Eren replies, trying once again to take a step back, only for Thomas to move closer and negate the distance. The green eyed man is still not completely adept at the intricacies of human interaction, so he doesn't know what kind of situation he has unwittingly found himself in. Thomas grins at Eren, but it doesn't seem friendly like it usually is.

"Were you thinking about Captain Levi? You're always with him, the two of you always so close. It really gets on my fucking nerves." Thomas says the last part so softly that Eren almost doesn't catch it. But he does, and his heart sinks. Is Thomas jealous because Eren gets to spend so much time with Levi? Does he think Eren is sucking up to the Captain or something? Another step back, only his back is met with the firm wooden wall of the hallway. Thomas quickly boxes him in, two arms on either side of Eren's head.

Eren looks into Thomas' eyes, which are glinting dangerously, and the green eyed man wonders what has happened to his friend. He doesn't recognize this person. "Thomas?" Eren asks cautiously, and the blonde's grin widens, his eyes becoming shuttered.

"When my name comes from your lips, I get this chill all over. Hey, Eren, will you say it again?" Thomas says, leaning his head down towards Eren. Green eyes widen, not understanding what is happening at all. What is Thomas trying to do? Why is he so close? _Is he going to hit me?_

"Oi! What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing to Eren, you fucking piece of shit?" A sudden voice yells, before Thomas is slammed to the ground with a deafening _thud!_

* * *

_Levi_

The raven stalks through the halls of the outpost, brooding as he usually does these days. He's extremely worried about what will happen once they bring Eren into the walls. Though he, Erwin, Hanji, and Mike have devised a plan to ensure that Eren gets permanently placed in their custody, the uncertainty is driving Levi mad. He doesn't want to have to kill any more humans, but he will without hesitation if they threaten Eren in any way.

Speaking of Eren, another source of Levi's frustration comes from the fact that the fucking brat still seems not to have caught on to the true nature of Levi's feelings towards him. The silver eyed man wonders if nothing short of fucking coming right out and saying it will get it through Eren's thick skull. However, the two have been so busy, Eren in particular with all the fucking work Erwin and Hanji have been dumping on him, that it just never seems like the right time. Besides, Levi wonders if it would be fair to do so when Eren is going through so much. He's been desperately trying to find his place in this new world he has found himself in, and it doesn't seem right for Levi to thrust him into yet another totally unfamiliar situation.

Feeling like he would just love to sleep for about a week, Levi rounds the corner, turning down another hallway, when something catches his eye and has him lifting his head. Futher down the hallway, two people stand close together, one pushed up against the wall while the other pins them there. Irritated that a couple of horny bastards can't even summon the decency to do this in private, Levi approaches, ready to tell them off.

However, as he gets closer, and sees just who is being pinned to the wall with a bewildered expression on that all too familiarly beautiful face, Levi's mind goes blank. Rage, visceral and scorching, floods his system. "Oi, What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing to Eren, you fucking piece of shit?" He finds himself shouting, and before he knows it he is delivering a brutal kick to said piece of shit. 

Levi can't even think, the image of Eren being pinned there by somebody _else_ is pulsing through his brain like a thousand tiny needles. He wants to fucking puke, to scream, to kill the fucking bastard that made Eren look so afraid and confused. Levi stomps on the fucker multiple times, before kicking him _hard._ But it's not enough, even as Eren is yelling at him to stop and the kid's blood starts to coat the toe of Levi's boot, he just keeps kicking him.

"Levi!" Eren exclaims, wrapping his overly warm arms around Levi's middle and pulling him back. The piece of filth is coughing and wheezing, blubbering like a fucking baby as he curls up pathetically. _I'll kill him. I'll fucking butcher this fucker for laying a single finger on Eren!_ Levi thinks, snarling viciously and trying to shrug Eren off of him so he can continue to beat this asshole into mush. Eren spins him around, pressing his scorching forehead against Levi's cooler one. "Levi, that's enough now. I'm okay." The ocean eyed beauty says softly, his soothing voice shaking the older man from his blinding rage.

Levi pulls back, glaring at Eren accusingly. "What the fuck was that?" He growls, demanding to know why Eren didn't fight back. Did he _want_ that pile of dog shit to kiss him? To touch him, to run those hands over his body? _I'll kill you before I let anyone else fucking have you, Eren. I swear to god I will._ He thinks with a deadly glint in his silver eyes, his body trembling from the fury.

Eren stares at Levi with wide eyes, looking completely lost. "I-I don't know, I was just walking, not paying attention, when I accidentally bumped into him, and he started acting strange. This is so unlike Thomas, I don't know what I did to make him so angry with me." Eren shakily explains, looking desperate to calm Levi down. "It's my fault, I didn't watch where I was going, that must be why he was so upset and was going to hit me. Please don't take it out on Thomas." The beautiful man pleads, and Levi goes still.

He thought... this fucking piece of trash... was _angry_ at him? Was going to hurt him? Levi gapes at Eren, completely at a loss for fucking words. He thinks it's his fault for accidentally bumping into that bastard? And is thus asking Levi not to hurt him?

"Let me get this fucking straight. You thought that he was upset with you, and was going to hurt you because you bumped into him?" Levi asks slowly, clearly enunciating every single fucking word. Eren flinches at Levi's tone, shying back from the clearly enraged man.

"Yes..." Eren replies, looking so uncharacteristically small and vulnerable. Normally, he's stoic but gets fired up easily when someone messes with him. Now, the beautiful man looks just about ready to curl in on himself. _Is that... because of me?_ Levi thinks to himself in horror, hating the way Eren is looking at him right now. It's the same way he looked at the soldier when they had gotten into that first fight in Eren's kitchen: as though he doesn't like what he sees.

Levi scrubs a hand over his mouth, trying to gain control over himself. No, Eren didn't want that sack of shit to kiss him. No, no one has taken him from Levi. He takes a deep breath, before grabbing Eren's wrist and pulling him away. "W-where are we going?" Eren asks hesitantly, but doesn't fight as Levi leads him to their room within the outpost. Thanks to Levi's rank, he managed to get Eren and he their own room instead of sleeping outside.

"To our room." Levi responds, taking the stairs two at a time and leaving Eren to scramble to keep up.

"But I have my appointment with Hanji." Eren explains, before adding, "What about Thomas?" but Levi ignores him. When they finally reach the room, the soldier kicks the door open, the sound echoing down the quiet hallway. Once inside, he slams it shut, before yanking a bewildered looking Eren over to his bed. He pushes the green eyed beauty down, making him land hard on his ass as he stares up at Levi. "What are you doing?" Eren asks quietly, but Levi just sits next to him and gathers him in a bone crushing hug.

"Shh. Just let me make you feel better. I know how much you love hugs, even if you won't admit it. I'm sorry for getting so angry, I misunderstood the situation." Levi whispers, stroking Eren's long hair comfortingly. The beautiful man hesitantly hugs Levi back, holding him tightly.

"I don't like them that much..." Eren mutters, making Levi smile just the tiniest bit as he tries to make up in whatever way he can for shouting at the chocolate haired man like that. They stay like that for a long time, with Levi just running his hands through Eren's silky hair until he realizes that the man he loves so much has drifted to sleep.


	13. The Walls

_Eren_

_The fifty meter height of the walls casts a looming, pitch black shadow over everything in sight. It's cold within that inky expanse, and a shiver runs through my body as the gate everyone has told me about slowly rises. The grinding and clanging of metal against metal is a sound I'm not familiar with and find that I instantly hate, as it fills me with a bone chilling sense of dread that makes it hard to swallow past the lump in my throat._

_"Are you alright, brat? You look like you're about to shit yourself." I hear Levi's voice from next to me where he sits on his own horse. I turn my head to look at him, intent on assuring him that I'm fine, but when my eyes land on his face, horror shoots through me. His attractive features are twisted in a mindless grin that looks too broad for his face, all too similar to the expression that I've beheld far too many times on the oversized faces of Titans. I stare at him in shocked silence._

_"Eren? Levi is right, you don't look so hot." Hanji says from the other side of me, and I glance at her, only to jolt back. Those reddish eyes of hers are too stretched and pinched in the corners as she smiles painfully hard. As my eyes frantically search out the faces of my friends to see if they too are seeing what I am, with utter terror, I realize that everyone wears that same crazed expression. They all watch me with an unblinking intensity. I'm about to use my horse to escape, when the loud sound of the gate finally being completely open distracts me. "Let's go! Finally we get to show you our home, Eren!" Hanji squeals, and my horse automatically starts to walk forward, following everyone else._

_I try to get the equine to turn around, but it doesn't react at all to my directions. My heart is beating frantically, and I look around with wide eyes. Surely someone in the town will realize how strange the Scouts are acting and say something. However, as buildings that all look like enlarged versions of my own cabin come into view, so do far larger, far worse things. Thousands of Titans, all watching me, stand there, waiting for us. A scream tears itself from my throat as I lift my hand instinctively to transform as quickly as possible. The searing pain of my teeth piercing my flesh shoots through my body. I wait and wait for that lightening strike and the surge of power, but nothing happens._

_"Levi!" I cry, turning to look once more at my friend, confused as to why he isn't jumping into battle, but when my eyes fall on his horse, I see that he isn't in it. I whip my head around to Hanji, but she too is gone. As I quickly become completely hysterical, I realize that there are no Scouts around me; everyone is gone, their horses the only sign that they were even there. "Levi!" I yell for him, trying to bite down again, over and over until my thumb is all but removed, but nothing happens, and the wounds aren't healing. "No, no, this can't be happening!" My voice is shrill, and I'm so distracted by trying to transform that I don't immediately notice when all the Titans begin to converge around me._

_My wide eyes that are flowing with tears look up, and another scream leaps from me as countless massive hands reach for me hungrily. "Levi!"_

"Oi! Eren, wake up!" A firm hand jostling Eren awake tears him from the clutches of his nightmare as he shoots upright, breathing heavily. Confused and disorientated, the younger man flinches at the sight of Levi so close to him. The raven's handsome face wears a clear expression of concern that is a departure from its usual coldness. "You were having a nightmare. Are you alright?" Levi asks gently, as the eighteen year old struggles to catch his breath. His heart is pounding painfully and a layer of stress induced sweat clings to his skin uncomfortably.

"I-I--" Eren stammers, trying to fully pull himself from the horror his subconscious decided to subject him to. He runs a shaky hand through his chocolate tresses. "I'm f-fine. Sorry." He finally says after a long moment of silence. Levi looks doubtful as he sits on his knees on the bed. Eren realizes that Levi climbed into his bed again tonight. Even though they have their separate places to sleep in their room, the raven is always next to him in his own bed whenever Eren wakes up.

"Doesn't seem that way to me, brat. Is it because you're nervous about tomorrow?" Levi asks, as always seeming to see right through Eren. If Eren wasn't so attached to Levi, he would avoid the raven purely because the man seems to be able to read him so well. It's disconcerting.

"I'm not nervous." Eren retorts, flopping back down with a sigh and draping his arm over his eyes. He hears Levi scoff before lying down next to the brunette. His arm is lifted away by Levi's hand and Eren frowns slightly. Green gazes into silver indignantly. "I said that I'm not nervous. Everything will go just fine, and I'm ready to do this. So, again, I'm not nervous." The younger man reiterates stubbornly. Levi administers a brutal flick to Eren's forehead that has him hissing in pain. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't lie to me, you shitty brat. It's fine if you're nervous; hell it would be fucking weird if you weren't. It's not something you have to hide." Levi scolds him, a scowl on his handsome face. Eren studies him a moment before sighing.

"Alright, I may be a bit anxious. Hanji told me that the people inside the wall probably aren't going to react kindly to the fact that I can transform into a Titan. She warned me that there will likely be a lot of trouble." Eren confesses. Levi clicks his tongue at that, looking pissed off.

"Damn that shitty glasses. I don't know what she went and told you all that for." The older man mumbles. Eren frowns and runs a hand through his hair.

"I need to know, so I can be prepared." Eren argues, defending Hanji. Levi scowls.

"No, you don't. All you need to do is sit back and let us handle it. I won't let anything happen to you." The raven rebuts firmly, in the tone he uses to indicate that there will be no arguing with him. He uses that tone often with his subordinates, and Eren hates that he's speaking to him in it.

"Levi, you may be the strongest human, but you're not the most powerful. There may be a chance that even you can't keep me safe. I see that now." Eren says softly, knowing that the raven won't like his words one bit. He's right, because Levi harshly sits up and glares down at him.

"Where do you get off saying shit like that to me? Do you really think I'd just let those fuckers kill you?" Levi demands, fuming. Eren sighs.

"No, but what are you going to do if it comes to that? Just kill all of them?" The eighteen year old says a bit more sharply. A glint enters those silver eyes.

"If I need to." He replies in a low voice full of malice. Eren sits up and holds Levi's face in his hands, like his mother always used to do when she wanted him to pay close attention to what she was saying.

"Don't even think about it. I don't want to bring you down with me if something does go wrong. I'll put my trust in you and Erwin and Hanji to make sure that it doesn't come to that, but if it does, you need to let it go." Eren insists, hating the idea of Levi getting in trouble because of him. Levi loses some of the harshness in his expression at Eren's touch.

"Oi, brat, I'm the oldest one here, and now your commanding officer. Don't go telling me what to do." Levi mutters, but there's a fondness in his tone that makes Eren relax. The brunette chuckles and lowers his hands.

"Yes sir, _Captain_ Levi." Eren teases, liking the way the raven's eye twitches in irritation at the green eyed man's words. He shoves Eren's shoulder and the brunette falls back on the bed with a thump and a giggle.

"Just go back to sleep before I kick your ass."

* * *

As the gate rises, color and noise and _life_ bathes over Eren. The Scouts have finally returned after a seemingly endless journey through the night. They had left the forest at sunset, intent on traveling to Wall Maria and then through the fallen wall's territory to Trost while the Titans couldn't move during the night. Thanks to this, no one died, which is a miracle in and of itself.

Eren has been brought up to speed about many things about life inside the walls. He has learned of the existence of the Colossal and Armored Titans, as well as the likelihood that they are Titan shifters just like him. This fact means that the people of the walls are even less likely to accept him.

They traveled over Wall Maria by the use of lifts that took hours and hours of hurried work. This made the journey through the fallen wall's territory even more stressful because they were running out of time, but somehow, they managed to make it back. 

Now, here they stand as the gate finally lifts completely open, Eren's heart thrumming in fear and anticipation. The sight that greets Eren takes his breath away. Buildings, hundreds of them, with tiled roofs a burnt orange color that dazzles him. People walk about, dressed in all different kinds of things in unique colors that Eren didn't know clothes could come in. It's so incredible, and the sights and sounds and smells of the city flood his senses.

The army proceeds forward, and Eren's head is swiveling just to catch a glimpse of _everything._ Children run about, and Eren is fascinated because he's never seen a child before. An elderly woman walks near by, and his eyes widen as he looks at her. Her hair is white! And there are so many wrinkles in her skin that he couldn't even begin to count them all. It's so interesting to the eighteen year old that he stares for a bit too long, and the woman gives him a frown when she notices.

As the Scouts enter the city, a crowd watches them, talking in hushed voices. Eren thought that the heroes would be welcomed back with cheers, but this is nothing like that. In fact, many gaze at them with scorn. Confused, and angered by some of the things he is hearing, he is about to say something, when he feels a hand on his bicep. He quickly turns his head, and sees Mikasa shaking hers.

"Hold it in, Eren." The black haired girl says softly, and Eren grits his teeth before nodding tersely. This isn't right, this isn't what it should be like. He witnessed first hand just how hard the Survey Corps work, how dedicated they are to ensuring humanity's victory. How can the people of the walls treat them with such disdain?

"Wow, look at that one! He's a beauty. I didn't know that there were soldiers who looked like that. Maybe I should've enlisted back in the day." One man near the front of the crowd of people snickers to his friends, pointing at Eren, who frowns in confusion. _Are they talking about me?_ Several other people say similar things, and the brunette notices that he is attracting a lot of stares. He turns away from all of them and faces forward, feeling uncomfortable. This isn't what he imagined his first time in the walls to be like. 

They proceed through the city, and arrive at a building that is one of their bases. Everyone enters the courtyard, exhausted from their journey. They begin to dismount, when all of a sudden, Commander Erwin gets their attention. Eren looks at him tiredly, wanting nothing more than to collapse into a bed and sleep for the next week. He's thrumming with nervousness and mild disappointment. Though the city is awe inspiring, the crowd's reception of the soldiers won't leave his mind. 

"Soldiers, everyone except the new recruits from the 104th will be returning to our main post. After an hour of allowing our horses to rest, we will leave Trost. That is all." Erwin announces, and confused whispers break out.

"Tch, why only us?" I hear Jean mutter, and I shoot him an admonishing glare. _Damn horse face._ However, everyone else seems to be wondering similar things, because they are talking with one another in mutual bewilderment.

Everyone disperses to take care of their horse, while the soldiers from the 104th start to get ready to go inside the building and hanker down. Eren is taking care of his horse so that it will be fit to ride soon, when Levi approaches him, looking _seriously_ pissed off.

"Levi? What's wrong?" Eren asks, concerned by his friend's demeanor. Levi takes Eren's hand and leads him to a more secluded area without saying anything. The eighteen year old follows obediently, feeling uneasy.

Once alone, Levi lets go and meets Eren's questioning gaze. "You're staying here with the new recruits. The only reason why they are staying behind is to give you better cover. This whole thing is about keeping you as far as possible from the capital for now, and seeing as how our base is pretty close to it, you can't stay there. Hanji, Mike, Erwin and I will be heading to the capital tomorrow to tell those old fucks about you. We want to keep you hidden until we know that you won't be killed immediately." Levi reveals in a monotone voice, and Eren's eyes widen.

_So that's what all of this is about?_ Eren thinks to himself. It seems like a well thought out plan, and makes him feel a bit less nervous, knowing that he won't just immediately be offed as soon as the people in charge learn about his existence. However, Levi still looks extremely angry. "It seems like a good idea. So why do you seem so upset?" Eren asks, confused. Those stunning silver eyes darken.

"Because that fucking bastard won't let me stay here with you. He's just leaving you here without proper protection." Levi hisses, practically trembling with rage now. Eren almost smiles at that, and his heart does that weird thing again as he sees how protective Levi is of him.

"You need to be there so you can tell them about me. Don't worry, with the uniform, I blend in perfectly with everyone. I'll be fine." Eren tries to reassure the older man, who simply scoffs and shakes his head.

"You can't blend in for jack shit with an appearance like that." Levi mutters and Eren self consciously grasps a strand of his long hair.

"Is my hair too long? Should I cut it?" The green eyed man asks, thinking that must be what Levi is talking about. The older man looks positively murderous at Eren's words.

"If you cut your hair, I'll fucking kill you." Levi threatens, and despite how angry he looks, Eren can't help but laugh at that. It seems Levi likes his hair. He feels a bit giddy at the thought of that, but isn't sure why.

"Well, what about my appearance makes it so that I stand out so much? I'll try and change it if I can." Eren replies, wanting to ensure that he's able to successfully remain hidden like the Commander wants him to. Levi sighs and shakes his head, as though he's talking to a child.

"It's because you're stupidly beautiful, you shitty brat." Levi says exasperatedly, and Eren's eyes become as big as saucers.

"Am I really? I haven't seen what I look like before. Only unsteady reflections in water every now and then." Eren reveals. Levi looks dumbfounded.

"Are you serious? You don't know what you look like?" Levi asks, and Eren nods, suddenly embarrassed. _Is it really that weird?_

"I know that my eyes are green because people have told me, and I know my hair is brown because it's so long that I can see it, but other than that I really don't know. Is it truly so strange?" Eren says, running a hand through his hair. Levi stares at him blankly before sighing again and turning to leave.

"Take a look in a mirror while you're here. I have to go now. Be careful and never go off on your own, brat. I'll be back soon." And with that, Levi walks off, leaving Eren brimming with curiosity.

It's midday, and everyone is retiring to get some sleep before volunteering their services to the soldiers in Trost tomorrow. The Commander had told them to blend in with the local soldiers and keep themselves busy by helping out.

Eren walks to the washroom, where he was informed a mirror is, eager to finally learn what he looks like. He's never seen a mirror before, didn't even know they existed until Levi mentioned it and he then asked Armin about them. His friends had looked shocked when he also told them that he doesn't know what he looks like. In fact, they really wanted to be there when he saw himself for the first time, but the idea was just too embarrassing, so he forbid them from following him.

Eren hesitantly pushes the door to the bathroom open, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. As he walks in, his eyes widen as they fall on a row of mirrors facing the opposite wall. They're incredible, perfectly reflecting what's in front of them with utter clarity. He stops walking, his heart racing. _Come on, it's just my face. There's nothing to be so worked up about. Just get it over with,_ Eren tells himself.

Forcing himself, he moves into the view of the nearest mirror. As he is finally met with his reflection, his breath leaves him in wonder. Eren is strange looking, with eyes that are such an intense color that he brings his fingers up to the skin beneath them, captivated when his reflection does the same thing. His skin is so smooth, and a rich color that makes his irises stand out even more. His eyelashes are so long, longer than anyone else that he knows. Eren's features are quite delicate for a man, and he finds that he resembles a girl more than anything. He doesn't really find himself beautiful, just strange.

He also discovers that even his body is lithe and delicate looking, though his defined muscles are apparent even through the uniform he was given. The whole experience is so bizarre and amazing. He stands there for a long time, memorizing his own face. _So... this is... me?_ He wonders, feeling a peculiar sense of completeness. It as though he has finally received an identity. For the first time, he feels completely human, and finds that he really loves that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from here on out the story is going to be pretty canon compliant, following mainly with the main story line as presented in the anime. of course it will still be different and I'm not just going to rewrite everything that happens in the anime because that would be kind of redundant and this story is about the romance between Eren and Levi. just letting you guys know!


	14. The Struggle for Trost

_Eren_

"Figures that they would put us on wall duty." Connie says as they all go about their duties on top of the wall. As per the Commander's orders, the recruits of the 104th volunteered their services, and the senior officers of the Garrison were all too happy to let someone else do their workload for them. They are now working alongside new members of the Garrison that were also from the 104th. Eren met each of them, and had to pretend to be a graduate from another year so that they wouldn't get suspicious. He likes all of them, and just like with the new recruits in the Survey Corps, he gets along with them easily as they all go about their duties.

Connie has to discreetly show Eren what to do as they go about cleaning a canon. They are all outfitted in their ODM gear, and Eren finds that he feels secure when he's wearing it, as though he really is a soldier. Though, Mikasa and Armin insist that he _is_ actually a soldier, considering Commander Smith already accepted him into the Scouts after he passed their little tests while they were still in the forest of giant trees.

As everyone chats, Mina and Thomas start discussing how she wishes that she had enlisted in the Survey Corps instead of the Garrison. As Eren listens, he begins to feel hopeful. Witnessing people's reaction to the Scouts yesterday had shaken him, but hearing Mina talk about them in a good light lifts his spirits. He's going to work his hardest to ensure that the Scouts gain the recognition they deserve. Now that they have someone with a shifting ability on their side, humanity is much better armed against whoever it is that threatens them.

Eren stands, looking down at the city of Trost. So many people, all trapped here like cattle while the Titans are ever present and hanging over their heads, separated by only one wall now. He remembers the freedom of being outside the walls, in the forest, being able to run in every direction as far as he wanted to in his Titan form. Have these people ever felt that? That liberation?

He feels a burning in his chest. It's like his soul is on fire, the same way it always is whenever he kills a Titan. He wants these people to know that sensation of having nothing holding them captive. He will do whatever it takes to wipe those fucking Titans off the face of the planet, and help bring these people the liberty they deserve. _Humanity's counterattack begins now._ Eren thinks to himself, brimming with passion and purpose.

There's a strange stillness that enters the air as Eren stands there in the next few seconds. Something shifts, and in an instant, a blinding, green, orange, and yellow light flashes. Instantaneously, everything in Eren's body turns incredibly cold, and when that boom rocks the air, louder than its ever been whenever he's transformed, every ounce of him fills with dread.

He turns his head, almost in slow motion, one second seeming to drag on for several minutes as he comes face to face with an impossibly large, skinless face that watches him. Time seems to return to its usual speed as a powerful wave of steam blasts all the soldiers off the wall. The heat of the cloud burns him and Eren quickly realizes that he's plummeting to the ground. "The hell?" He exclaims, finally remembering to use his gear as he anchors himself to the wall and halts his descent. He hears Connie yell a man's name, and watches with bated breath as Sasha manages to save the man from falling to his death. "That was close." Eren breathes, before those emerald eyes lock on a sight that has his entire body filling with unrestrained horror.

Where the gate once was, a gaping hole now stands, wind and sunlight streaming through what should be locked up tight. As Eren stares at it, images of his mother's death all those years ago in the forest flash through his mind. He instantly knows that these innocent people are about to experience first hand the hell that he himself witnessed. _"I'll kill them all! Every single one of them!"_ His own young voice goes through his mind, as he remembers the vow he swore as he realized that he was then truly alone in this world. "Every... fucking... one..."

He shouts to the people who are now his comrades, shaking them out of their shock induced stupor. His body finally decides to move, and he launches up the side of the wall, the head of the Colossal Titan coming into view. Body thrumming with rage, he charges at it, trying to get revenge for all the people this person caused to die when he destroyed the wall in Shinganshina, and for all the people about to die. _I'll get rid of this fucking bastard right now!_ Eren thinks, diving head first into battle. 

* * *

Eren is in battle with his impromptu squad in Trost, having been directed to join the fight after their encounter with the Colossal Titan. He's flying through the air, his comrades at his side, intent on finally killing some Titans, when Eren suddenly shouts, "An abnormal! Stop!" just heartbeats before a Titan leaps at them. Eren's body goes rigid with horror as they all frantically look back at it, seeing Thomas trapped in its mouth. Rage floods his system, every cell in his body thrumming with the need to wipe that piece of shit off the face of the earth. "What the hell are you doing?" He screams, his body thrumming with fury as he flies forward after the fucking monster that just ate his friend. His comrades scream for him to stop, but he hardly hears them over the sound of blood pumping in his hears as his heart beats furiously.

"Get back here, dammit! You're going to pay for killing Thomas! I won't let you get away. I _won't!"_ He shouts, finally reaching the piece of fucking garbage and rearing back to strike, when a sudden blinding pain shoots through his entire body. He crashes into the roof of a building, agony coursing through him as he realizes that his leg is now gone.

Delirious from the head injury he sustained from his rough landing, Eren lies there, dazed and unable to move. Steam starts to hiss from his wounds, but he's too out of it to focus the healing on his leg so that he can regain mobility as soon as possible.

Everything around him seems garbled and warped as he lies there. Distant screams reach his ears but he can't quite distinguish who they belong to. _Levi... please, come quick..._ He thinks to himself, unfocused eyes half open as he stares at a nearby building. He stays like that for so long that it seems like an eternity. All he can feel is blood pumping through him painfully hard as his body struggles to cope with his wounds.

Suddenly, something catches his eye. A familiar mop of blonde hair that Levi always says is in the shape of a coconut. Armin is sitting on the roof of a nearby building, his eyes wide and his body trembling. Eren watches in a daze as he just continues to sit there. _Armin, it's too dangerous to stay there._ Eren wants to say, but he's drifting close to unconsciousness and can't get his mouth to move. So when a Titan with a bushy grey beard starts approaching Armin, he can't get his scream to leave his lips. Eren watches with far away panic as the Titan plucks his best friend up by his jacket, dangling him over its mouth. The blonde's screams reach his ears. _A-Armin..._

He remembers the times in the new recruit tent, when Armin told Eren all about what he had read about the sea. The blue eyed man was brimming with passion, his cheeks flushed as he regaled the brunette with tales about what the earth is like. Even Eren, who had been outside the walls his entire life, was captivated by how many possibilities there were in this world. 

His body comes back to life then, fueled by the all consuming need to protect someone he cares about. He shoots forward, black rimming his vision, but the Titan drops Armin into his mouth. Eren doesn't even think about transforming, doesn't think about anything but getting his friend out of that awful place.

He flies into the Titan's agape mouth, holding onto the Titan's teeth as he just manages to grip his friend's wrist. Relief slams through him hard and he uses all of his remaining strength to chuck Armin out onto the nearest roof. "Eren!" His friend screams as he scrambles to his knees, watching with horror as Eren lodges his blade in between the Titan's teeth and tries to force the Titan's mouth open with his body.

"We can't die here, can we, Armin? You were the one who told me about it." Eren reaches a hand out towards his friend, his eyes looking off as he imagines all the beautiful places Armin described. "That's why I want to go there..."

"Eren, hurry!" Agony, misery, despair, it all swallows him as the Titan's mouth slams closed, his hand severed from his body as he's forced backwards, sliding down the repulsively hot and slimy throat of this fucking piece of shit. He feels like he's on fire, and it all gets to be too much as darkness consumes him.

Red, that's all he sees at first, and the color swims in and out of focus as he struggles to shake the grogginess that holds him. His eyes move, searching out something other than that one color, when they fall on something that makes his entire body jolt into full awareness. Bodies, dismembered and bloody, floating all around him, that's the sight he is met with as he looks around frantically. His body is burning, being scorched by whatever foul smelling fluid he is in.

A scream jumps from his lips as he splashes backwards, instinctively trying to get away from the corpses in front of him, only to discover that they're everywhere. _This... This wasn't supposed to..._ He thinks in despair, the fear too great for him to even move as he watches a soldier drift lifelessly through the putrid lake. He hears a woman talking, his head turning in her direction as she weakly cries out for her mother. As she sinks beneath the liquid, he feels like vomiting, like wailing. Her words bring images of his own mother to his mind, and an intimately familiar debilitating pain courses through him, emanating from that one place in his chest.

He thinks of Levi then, of the older man's foul mouth and bad attitude. He remembers how those insanely beautiful silver eyes look exactly like the sky during a thunderstorm when he's angry, or how they appear more blue whenever he's in a good mood. Eren thinks of how Levi always stays as close to his side as possible, how fiercely protective he can be. The idea of never getting to wake up only to discover that Levi has stubbornly climbed into bed with him again fills Eren with a different kind of despair that he hasn't experienced before. It shocks him with its intensity, as he thought that he was closely acquainted with that emotion. But this is unlikely anything he's ever felt before. Levi is waiting for Eren, eager to get back to him, only now Eren is trapped inside the stomach of a Titan, surrounded by bodies.

He finds himself desperately wondering why this is the fate of humanity. He had wanted so desperately to be a part of it, only to discover that by doing so, he's a recipient of their same curse. "Why?" He sobs, and as he's slowly getting sucked under, he finds himself cursing it all. "Hell if I'm going to give up! I'm going to exterminate them! I won't spare a single one! I swear it!" He vows, lifting his severed hand up. It's like a light goes off in his mind as he sees the mangled stub. He had been shocked from the trauma of it all, and hadn't even thought of it. Though he was told never to transform inside the walls unless it was absolutely necessary... _I think this fucking qualifies!_ He thinks, and in an instant power surges through him as his Titan body builds itself and bursts out of the fucker that ate him. 

However, unlike most times, his rational thought is put on the back burner, and simply operates his Titan on instinct as his mind forces itself to take a rest.

Eren comes to surrounded by soldiers, living ones this time, Armin and Mikasa at his side. Despite all his past training to remain able bodied after transforming, Eren can't even stand and a familiar cold sweat lets him know that his body has been pushed too far. His wounds have healed, and combined with remaining in his Titan form for an extended amount of time, he's extremely weak.

He quickly becomes aware that members of the Garrison have discovered what he is, despite Erwin and Levi stressing how important it was for Eren to remain hidden. He curses himself. If he had remained in control, he would've transformed, healed, and then returned to his normal form as soon as possible. But because he didn't, now Mikasa and Armin's lives are in danger.

When faced with the question of what he is, Eren hesitates. For so long he unwittingly thought of himself as not belonging to humanity. He would refer to them as "the humans" in his mind and didn't even realize it. But then he met Levi, who showed him what it truly means to be human. The raven had proved to Eren that the brunette _was_ in fact one of them. Levi brought him into a whole new world, a world where he wasn't alone anymore. His friends and the entirety of the Survey Corps have shown Eren that he belongs in that world, that he has every right to be here. Eren knows his answer now, and firmly shouts to the people who are looking at him with terror in their eyes, "I'm human!"

The rest happens in a blur. The humans ignore his answer, and instead fire at them. Grief floods through Eren as he stops the canon ball, hardly even able to summon his Titan because his body is completely physically exhausted. He doesn't understand, doesn't understand why these people can't see the truth. Is it because he isn't explaining properly? Will they even give him a chance to?

As the next several minutes pass, as Eren and Mikasa place their trust in Armin to communicate with the Garrison soldiers, all Eren wants to do is scream, to wail, to shout at these people. If Levi and Commander Erwin and Squad Leader Hanji and all of his comrades in the Scouts can accept him, why can't they? Why are they trying to deny what Levi had worked so hard to convince Eren of, that he's one of them? As it wears on, he has to face the idea that he may have to escape to save his friends.

Even though he knows his body can't take it, he raises his hand to his mouth when he sees that soldier begin to raise his arm again. He has no choice, and prays that some miracle happens that allows him to transform. However, by some _different_ miracle, someone intervenes, someone Eren doesn't recognize but Armin and Mikasa seem to. As the man speaks, relief floods Eren's system, and he closes his eyes. _Levi, I'm not dead yet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yeah it'll be like this, I'll write about important story parts but not the entire story line and it won't be exactly the same. I hope you're all alright with this because the story really won't make sense if I don't do it like this. also thank you very much for the words of approval and encouragement. you guys are real homies


	15. Desperation

_Levi_

Levi is in the middle of pacing outside the meeting room when a haunted looking soldier sweating fucking buckets runs up. He rushes straight past Levi, bursting through the door without knocking. "The Colossal Titan destroyed Trost's gate. The city has been overrun by Titans, Sirs!" The solider declares, his voice shaking. Levi's body loses all function as he collapses, Mike just barely managing to catch him. 

_Eren is in Trost!_ Levi thinks to himself, panic consuming every single nerve as he stomps into the room, not giving a single fuck about decorum and walking straight up to Erwin. He grips the blonde man by the front of the shirt, looking straight into his eyes with a menacing expression. "You're going to let me and the veteran scouts go to Trost right fucking now." It isn't a question, isn't a request, the Captain is _telling_ the Commander that this is what's going to happen. 

Erwin immediately nods, completely unfazed by Levi. Without another wasted second, Levi sprints from the room, Hanji and Mike hot on his tail as they rush to their horses. "I'll go to the base, you two head straight there!" Mike exclaims, but Levi isn't listening. All he can think about is his gorgeous, oblivious, lonely Eren out there in that city, Titans reaching for him with their filthy hands. 

Their horses' footsteps are thunder as they push the beasts as hard as possible, all of them extremely thankful that they decided to go to the capital wearing their uniforms and gear. After wearing them for so long while on their expedition, none of them had felt comfortable without them just yet. As Mike breaks off from Hanji and Levi once they leave Wall Sina and are back in Wall Rose, the two continue forward on the shortest route to Trost, desperation coursing through them the entire way. 

As Levi finally makes it the wall on the other side of Trost, he looks around frantically, but doesn't see any soldiers. "Where the fuck are they?" He barks at Hanji, out of his mind with dismay as he desperately searches for a familiar head of stunning chocolate brown hair. Canon fire explodes, the sound shaking Levi down to his bones. 

"There! I see a group of them on top of the wall!" Hanji tells him, pointing up. Levi's heart jumps into his throat as he fires his hooks without a second thought. If Eren were anywhere, he would be with the soldiers. As he scales the wall at an almost inhuman speed, he spots Pixis standing there, shouting orders to the soldiers as they continue to fire their canons. 

"Pixis! Where are they, where are the new Scouts?" Levi yells, not caring if he's interrupting or talking to a superior officer rudely. Pixis turns around, looking surprised to see Levi there, but cool as a cucumber as he always is. The Captain can smell the booze on the Commander and it makes his nose wrinkle in disgust. 

"A lot of them are on the front lines. You had a surprising weapon among your ranks, Captain." Pixis states smoothly, and Levi's entire body becomes frozen when he hears an all too familiar roar shoot through the air. His head whips in the direction of the sound that was so loud it managed to be heard even over the canons, and what he sees has him propelling forward. Eren, in Titan form, carrying a fucking massive boulder on his shoulders towards where the gate once was has Levi consumed with dread. 

_No. No. No._ Levi thinks as he watches Titans all heading towards the brunette. This isn't what was supposed to happen, they were supposed to reveal Eren's ability to the greater human populous at the right moment. Now he's being used like a weapon without Levi there to protect him, thrust into this battle all alone. 

Levi slaughters Titans as he goes, and they drop like flies as he tears through the city on the way to the man he loves. Every fiber of his being is focused on only one thing, and that's making sure not a single hair on Eren's perfect head is harmed. 

However, despite his rage and panic, Levi can't help but shout in victory when his beautiful Eren slams that boulder down, closing the gate and giving those fucking bastards that destroyed it a big fat fucking middle finger. _Suck on that, you fucking pieces of shit._ He thinks to himself, cutting down a Titan that is straying too close to Eren as the green eyed beauty severs the link with his Titan body and it begins to evaporate. 

Levi lands, eyes falling on a barely conscious Eren, as well as the two brats whom the shifter is close to. "What the hell is going on here?" He asks, the brief sense of victory immediately being replaced by a quiet fury. "Why did Eren reveal himself?" He demands to know, seeing as how Eren is now completely out cold. Levi strides over, taking Eren from Mikasa and Armin, who both look upset by that. Mikasa especially looks like she's about to rip Levi apart. 

"We had no choice. Eren was... he was eaten by a Titan while trying to save me. My guess is he transformed while inside the Titan's stomach to save his life. I don't know the whole story." Armin explains hurriedly, and Levi almost vomits when he hears what Eren has been through. He leaves for one day and already Eren has suffered another horrible trauma, almost dying in the process. 

Levi has never been more thankful that Eren possesses this ability of his, because he would be dead right now if he didn't. He feels sick to his fucking stomach at the thought of that. He hugs Eren's unconscious body tightly, forgetting for a moment that he's in the middle of a sea of Titans. He breathes in Eren's scent, still wild and exotic even when he's no longer in the forest. He's hot as hell, just as he always is after transforming. Levi fucking loves it. The raven wishes Eren were awake right now because the older man would kiss the fucking life out of him. 

"Captain, we need to get Eren out of here." The gloomy brat states, snapping Levi out of his rejoicing. Immediately, he shifts right back into the mindset of a soldier. 

"We'll get up the wall. You two stay with Eren, I have to fight." He orders, and the words taste like ash in his mouth. Levi wants nothing more than to never leave Eren's side again, but he knows that isn't an option. The three of them fire their hooks, and the Captain holds the green eyed beauty tightly as he feels the wind rake its fingers through his inky hair. 

Once safely atop the wall, Levi sees first hand where the Colossal Titan must have destroyed the canons. He sets Eren down gently, taking off his cloak and folding it into a makeshift pillow to put under the younger man's head. "Don't leave his side for any reason until I come back, got it?" The Captain orders harshly, and the two readily nod their heads. They surround Eren, looking fiercely protective of the unconscious man. Levi finds himself being thankful that the brat managed to make such loyal friends. Feeling a bit better about having to part from the man he loves, Levi leaps from the wall, heading straight into battle. 

* * *

Levi has his hands wrapped around the bars of Eren's cell, rage making him tremble as he takes in the sight of Eren sleeping, shackles around those beautiful golden wrists. The Captain was powerless when the Military Police had arrived at the front lines once the battle was finished, forcibly taking a still unconscious Eren into custody. Hanji and five other Scouts had to hold him back so that he wouldn't butcher those fucking bastards as they put handcuffs on Eren and carted him off in a carriage. 

It makes him fucking sick, seeing the man he loves being imprisoned like a fucking animal. He saved so many lives, likely helped prevent another wall from falling, and those fucking pigs, those fucking ungrateful pricks, lock him up in return. 

He knew this would happen, judging from how they reacted when he and Erwin and Hanji and Mike were informing the top brass about Eren and his ability. They immediately wanted to capture him, to study him and even kill him. They completely ignored Levi's testimony about how Eren had saved his life, how he saved the lives of many Scouts while they were stationed outside the wall. They heard "Titan" and instantly decided that was all Eren is. 

A court hearing has been scheduled for a few days from now to publicly decide Eren's fate. Erwin has a plan, as he always does, but Levi fucking hates his stupid fucking plan. Levi is to act cold to Eren, and once in the courtroom, he has to prove to everyone that he's the only one that is capable of keeping Eren in line. To prove to them that he will have no problem killing the Titan shifter if it comes to that, no one can know how attached Levi is to the brunette. It makes him fucking furious. 

The Scouts managed to get a few moments of time with Eren without the ever watchful eye of the Military Police. So here Levi is, wanting nothing more than to tear the metal bars apart with his own hands and rescue Eren from this prison. He doesn't belong in a filthy, dark place like this. He should be under an endless blue sky, surrounded by wildflowers and sunshine as he laughs and calls Levi's name with that lovely voice of his. 

A rattling pulls Levi from his dark thoughts, and his heart soars but then sinks when Eren slowly sits up, looking afraid and confused as he frantically gazes around his cell. When those stunning emerald eyes meet Levi's, the younger man relaxes somewhat. 

"Levi? Where am I?" Eren asks, struggling against his shackles. Something twists inside the soldier at that sight. 

"You're in a dungeon. You're currently in the custody of the Military Police. Only just now were we permitted to see you. It isn't looking good, Eren." Erwin says, and Levi fixes him with a deadly glare. 

"Shut the fuck up, Erwin. All you're going to do is make him fucking worry!" Levi snaps, before looking back at Eren, who's eyes are downcast. "We have a plan, Eren. You're not going to like it, I most certainly fucking don't, but it's the best we've got." The raven attempts to reassure the ocean eyed beauty, who lifts his head and nods hesitantly. 

"What is it?" Eren questions softly, and Levi opens his mouth to answer, only for that fucking eyebrow bastard to interrupt. 

"We can't tell you. We want your reaction to be as genuine as possible and to not let the Military Police have any idea of what we're up to. I'm sorry, Eren." Erwin responds calmly, and Levi quickly goes over and grabs him. 

"What the fuck? So not only do we have to go through with this shitty plan of yours, but Eren can't even know what it is?" Levi shouts, unusually animated and loud, his entire body thrumming with fury. Erwin doesn't even blink in the face of the raven's anger. 

"It's imperative that everything happens as naturally as possible so as not to arouse any suspicion. We need Eren to play along, but for it to not seem at all forced. This is the best way to do that." The Commander states. Levi clicks his tongue and goes up to the bars once more. 

"Just trust us, Eren. I'll get you out of here, I fucking swear I will." Levi promises, his heart physically aching in his chest. Eren nods, looking so fucking brave that it makes the raven incredibly proud but also furious. Eren shouldn't have to be brave, shouldn't need to worry about being killed by humans when he's never done anything wrong. 

"I trust you, Levi." 

As his boot slams into Eren's face, he's absolutely fucking sure that he's going to throw up. When he sees that tooth clatter across the floor, he feels his heart shrivel. But Levi still continues, knowing that he has no choice. As Eren looks up at him in confusion and betrayal, Levi dies inside. _I'm so fucking sorry, Eren._ He thinks as he savagely kicks the man he loves in the abdomen, eliciting a sort of choking sound from the younger man. 

He continues until blood is streaming from Eren's beautiful face, and then continues some more. He keeps recalling the hungry looks that many of the men in the courtroom were throwing at the brunette while they tried to convince Zachary to give them into their custody for experimentation. Levi knows that dissection isn't the only torture Eren would be subjected to if the Scouts fail to convince the court that Eren should be placed in their hands. He tries to console himself with that knowledge as he holds the green eyed man's face to the filthy floor with his foot. 

"My personal belief is that _pain_ is the best tool for teaching discipline. What you need now is to be taught a lesson, not given a talking-to. And you happen to be in perfect kicking position." Levi chokes on the words as he says them. He resumes his assault, breaking Eren's body further, pushing it to the extreme. 

"Wait, Levi!" Nile says, and Levi finally removes his boot from Eren's face. He feels so sick that he can hardly speak. 

"What?" The raven says blankly, suppressing the desire to tear Nile's head from his body for trying to get Eren killed. 

"That's dangerous. What if he gets mad and turns into a Titan?" The fucking bastard says, and Levi almost can't hold himself back. His silver eyes flick back to Eren, who looks up at Levi with eyes full of anger. It makes everything twist inside the Captain when he sees that. 

He kicks Eren again. "What? Don't be silly." Levi remarks, grabbing Eren by his lovely hair and holding him up. " _You_ guys are gonna dissect him, aren't you?" He drops Eren harshly and stands. The raven stares down at the man he loves as shuddering breaths leave his beaten body. "When he was transformed, he apparently managed to kill twenty Titans before running out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous. Even so, I could handle him just fine. But could you? Whoever dares to torment him had better think long and hard. _Can_ you actually kill him?" Levi says, letting his silver eyes roam the crowd. He tries to commit every face to memory. He's going to remember every fucking bastard that didn't stand up for Eren, that wanted him dead. He'll remember them, and make them fucking pay. On their deathbed, he'll appear, and ensure that their death is neither peaceful nor easy. 

"Man, talk about harsh." Hanji mutters as she tends to Eren's wounds. Levi wanted to do it himself, but after watching the way Eren flinches whenever he gets close, Levi stays on the other end of the room, body thrumming with anxiety. The usual emotionless expression remains on his face as he watches the green eyed beauty. 

"I'm sorry about that. But it _did_ get you placed in our custody." Erwin tells Eren, approaching the brunette who sits on the couch holding a rag to his bruised cheek. Levi wonders how Eren can even look beautiful while bloody and bruised. 

"Yes..." Eren replies softly as the Commander stands in front of him. 

"The pain was worth it. It let us play our trump card when it would be most effective." Erwin explains before crouching in front of Eren. He extends a hand and Levi leans off the wall, ready to kill him. "You have my admiration." The blonde says and the Captain hates the way he says it. There's a strange undertone in his voice that doesn't belong there. Silver eyes narrow. Eren gasps, those gorgeous eyes sparkling at someone fucking _else._ "Eren. I look forward to working with you even more from here on out." _Erwin, you fucking bastard, was this part of your plan? Distance Eren and I so you could weasel your way in?_

"R-right! Thank you, Sir!" Eren stammers, sounding all giddy as he shakes the blonde's hand and Levi can't fucking stomach it. He walks over, plopping down beside Eren and draping an arm around the back of the couch. Eren literally jolts back, gasping as he stares at Levi with wide, nervous eyes. It makes Levi want to scream. 

"Eren, do you resent me?" Levi asks, sounding far less kind than he intended to. He wanted to be gentle, to apologize, but he's so angry from seeing Erwin touch the brunette that it doesn't come out that way. 

"N-no. I understand it was a necessary performance." Eren mumbles, hugging his body protectively as he scoots away from Levi and avoids meeting those silver eyes. Levi doesn't know what to say. Eren is saying he doesn't hold it against Levi, but something has clearly changed between them. Perhaps the brunette isn't angry, but the Captain can tell that he's hurt. 

"Good, then..." Levi whispers, unsure of what else to say. He knows that it is going to take time to repair the damage that this event has caused between them. The raven is aware that things can't simply go back to the way they were immediately. He just fucking prays that it won't take too long, and that he can show Eren just how painful it was for him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now that we got THAT terrible plot point over with, we shall resume with the fluff!


	16. A Problem

_Eren_

When the old Scout castle comes into view, it takes Eren's breath away. He's never seen such incredible architecture before, and he finds that he can't wait to witness what it looks like inside. It looks a bit run down, but to Eren that is a bit more natural seeing as he allowed nature to just do what it wished when it came to his cabin.

Levi rides in front of Eren, and the eighteen year old tries to keep a fair bit of distance between them. He harbors no ill feelings towards his friend, he understands that Levi didn't want to hurt Eren. But his body instinctively remembers every brutal kick, and has the annoying habit of trembling whenever he's close to the raven. So until that stops, Eren has put some distance between them.

They haven't really spoken since the trial. Eren was still confined to the dungeon, and this is his first time outside in days. He relishes in the fresh air, in the green expanse of the wilderness that surrounds the isolated castle. As he gets off of his horse, and they water them down and remove their tack, Eren has an acute awareness of Levi always hovering close by.

Eren knew that Levi is a bit obsessed with cleaning, but he becomes acutely reminded of this as he diligently cleans the castle as per the raven's orders. The inside is a bit more modest than the exterior, clearly designed to accommodate as many people as possible. Still, Eren is amazed by the sheer amount of space. Though, with a lot of space comes a lot of dust, and he finds that he wishes it were just a bit smaller as he wipes everything down.

Once he's finished, he slowly walks to the room where Levi is working. Though he wants to talk to his friend, it's still too soon for the brunette. So he tries to prolong the inevitable, before finally walking into the quite empty room. Levi has just opened the shutters and a breeze drifts through the space refreshingly.

"Levi, I finished upstairs." Eren says in a blank voice, his emotionless expression almost broken by a smile as he takes in how silly Levi looks with a cloth wrapped around both his head and his face. It looks so out of place on the usually proud raven.

Levi looks at Eren for a long moment without saying anything. The younger man begins to grow uncomfortable and shifts slightly. "Eren. We need to talk." The Captain says, pulling the cloth down and revealing the rest of his handsome face. Eren's heart skitters and his cheeks warm.

"Um, I'll go look and see if there's anything else for me to do." The brunette mumbles, before darting out of the room. As he all but runs down the hallway, he curses himself. It isn't right for him to take out his own problems on Levi. The raven didn't do anything wrong, Eren knows that, but he's sure that the older man is feeling very guilty about what happened. Eren wants to assure him that he understands, but he can't get over the strong anxiety that overcomes him whenever he gets near the silver eyed man.

He goes about the rest of his day while berating himself for his behavior. Levi had tried several more times to talk with him, but he ran away each time. As the cycle continued, Eren grew angrier and angrier with himself. He's acting like a weakling. That beating was nothing compared to some of the injuries he sustained while practicing his transformations. Some of those times, Eren very nearly died when a transformation went awry. But there's something different about getting hurt at the hands of another person. Eren has never experienced that before. His body isn't sure how to process it.

Eren learns that he is to sleep in the basement, so he's been cleaning it for the last couple of hours. It's quite dark and damp, but spacious enough. Of course, the bed is in a cell, and Eren takes care to wash the sheets thoroughly of all the dust and grime. At least the bed is bigger than average. He makes a mental note to pick some flowers and what not to breathe some life into the dreary place. It seems that he doesn't feel at home without being around some sort of nature.

Eventually he's finished with everything, and after a quick wash, he goes to the dining hall to fill his aching stomach. Everyone is already there, chatting in a lively way as they get acclimated to their new home. Not all of the Scouts are here at this castle, really only the Levi Squad at this point. The rest are set to join up with them at a later date. He's disappointed that he's apart from Armin and Mikasa, but he gets along decently well with Petra and the others. However, there's always some sort of strange tension between he and Petra, and Oruo seems to have some kind of bone to pick with Eren most of the time.

As he gets his food and hesitantly sits down at their table, he makes sure to avoid eye contact with Levi who is staring at him. Eren glances at Petra, who is looking between Levi and him with a frown on her small face. "Eren, did you finally get done cleaning?" Eld asks in a friendly way while he takes a bite of his bread.

Eren nods, attempting a smile so as not to seem unsociable. "Yes, the basement was dirtier than I expected. But it's fine now." The younger man replies, beginning to eat. Gunther looks at the brunette apologetically. 

"I wish you didn't have to sleep down there. But if it means you don't get dissected by those Military Police bastards, then I guess it's worth it." He says, and Eren nods his head in thanks at Gunther's sentiments. To be honest, he's just happy that this means he won't be sharing a room with Levi. He doesn't think he would be able to get any sleep with how much his body shakes when he's around the raven.

There's a loud bang at the door from someone crashing into it, and a very enthusiastic Hanji barges into the room once it is opened for her. "Eren!" She exclaims, before excitedly launching into a rant about how she wants Eren to join her for her experiments tomorrow on the two Titans they managed to capture in Trost. After receiving permission from Levi, Eren finds himself asking her more about her experiments out of curiosity. The others warn him to stop, but Eren doesn't catch on and repeats himself when Hanji asks what he just said.

At that, everyone stands to leave. Before walking out the door, Levi turns around to look at Eren. "I'll be waiting for you down in the basement. Go straight there once you're done." He orders, before striding away. At that, Eren resolves to keep Hanji talking for as long as possible. Though he doesn't realize how easy that would be as morning soon comes with the red head still prattling away excitedly. Eyes feeling dry and itchy, dark circles painfully apparent, it's almost a relief when a Scout bursts into the room and interrupts them. However, the news he brings has them both jumping out of their chairs.

Two weeks have passed since Sonney and Bean were killed. A new mission has been announced and life at the castle, now bustling with activity since the rest of the Survey Corps arrived, is filled with a sense of nervous determination. Eren is currently having a rare moment of down time and is exploring the field behind the castle. Armin and Mikasa accompany him, seeing as he must always be supervised and Eld had decided to allow his two friends to fill in this afternoon as a favor to a burnt out Eren.

The brunette gathers some flowers and branches to decorate his basement with, though he has avoided sleeping down there, knowing that there's a chance Levi will be waiting there for him. So, he simply wanders around the castle all night, catching sleep when he can during the day. He's unsure why Levi has been letting him do this, as he knows the Captain must be aware of what he is up to, and knows its against the rules for Eren to move about on his own.

"Oi, you two, fucking scram." A sudden, very harsh voice sounds from behind them and Eren turns, his heart sinking as he sees a very pissed off Levi standing there. Mikasa immediately stands in front of Eren, all but growling at the raven. Armin puts a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head. The blonde gives the Titan shifter a look of apology before dragging Mikasa with him as he begins to walk back to the castle. Mikasa begins to argue with her blue eyed friend and continues even until they're out of sight.

Eren stands there awkwardly, staring at the flowers in his hands so he doesn't have to meet Levi's heated glare. "Levi, is something wrong?" The brunette finally breaks the tense silence, unable to take it anymore. The eighteen year old finally glances at him, noting the furious scowl and his crossed arms.

"This has got to fucking stop, Eren. You're hardly sleeping, hardly eating, just to avoid me. I understand that you hate me now, but stop ruining your health because of it." Levi hisses. Green eyes widen at his words. _Levi thinks that I hate him?_ _Well, of course he does, with the way I've been behaving._ Eren thinks to himself miserably.

"I don't." Eren whispers, biting his lip. Levi frowns.

"You don't what?" The raven asks impatiently, clearly not understanding what Eren meant.

"I don't hate you!" The brunette snaps, running a hand through his hair in agitation "I just feel strange whenever I'm around you. My body starts trembling and I just think of the pain. I've never been hurt by someone like that, I mean physically. I don't blame you, and I'm not angry, and I don't hate you. I just am struggling to process it. My body is the one that is afraid." Eren is breathing heavily by the end of his rant, tears of frustration in his eyes. This is so humiliating. Eren feels incredibly weak and pathetic, and he despises it.

Levi's eyes are wide, his scowl gone as he just stares at Eren blankly. The raven is silent for so long that Eren starts to think he'll go crazy if the other man doesn't say _something._ "So..." The solider finally speaks, and Eren's heart races as he waits to hear the Captain's response. "What you're saying is that your body is instinctively scared whenever you're around me, because it remembers me as being a source of physical pain?" Levi asks slowly, and Eren nods. The older man seems to think for a moment. "So, if I could reprogram your body to associate me with something positive, you would stop being afraid?" The raven says, and Eren brightens.

"Yes! If we could do that, I'm sure that everything would go back to how it was." He agrees enthusiastically, desperate for a solution. He misses Levi, misses talking with him and being around him. If there's something to be done about this problem, Eren is more than willing. "Though, what would we do?" Eren asks, not able to think of any way to accomplish this.

Levi sighs and scratches the back of his neck, as though unsure of something. "There is a way, but I'm not sure if it's the best idea." He responds, sounding weary. Eren shakes his head in determination. 

"If there's something we can do, I want to do it, no matter what it is." Eren insists, gripping the flowers tighter. Levi sighs again. 

"You don't understand, brat. I'm talking about intimate things, like physically intimate interactions. That's just the most powerful form of physical, positive interactions that I know of. I mean I guess we could try something like, I give you good food whenever I'm around you--" Eren interrupts.

"No, if this is the best way to do it, then we'll do it. Unless you're uncomfortable with it." The brunette says, realizing that maybe Levi doesn't want to do that. Eren doesn't completely understand the full implications of physical intimacy, but he knows it entails things like kissing, which is apparently a pleasant sensation, judging from how Ymir bangs on about great it feels to kiss Christa. But from what he understands, that sort of thing is done with someone you love romantically. Maybe Levi isn't comfortable with kissing Eren when there's no romance between them. Maybe this is a line that just shouldn't be crossed between friends.

Levi scowls at that. _He must really hate the idea..._ Eren thinks dejectedly. "It's not that. I want to, but I don't want to take advantage of you or fucking scare you even more by making you do something you aren't emotionally ready to." Levi explains, and Eren gives him a look of confusion, tilting his head to the side.

"You wouldn't be taking advantage of me. You'd be helping me get over this trauma or whatever the hell it is. If I didn't like something, I'd tell you." Eren explains, and Levi scrubs a hand over his mouth, a strange glint entering his eyes that Eren doesn't understand.

"I'll take it slow. If at any point you want to stop, just tell me and I will... if I can." Eren doesn't catch the last part but pays it no mind. He smiles brightly, overjoyed at the idea of finally getting back to normal. "We'll start by doing a little each day, okay? So just, please sleep in your own bed and eat a proper amount of food, you shitty brat." Levi mutters, sounding exhausted.

Eren nods enthusiastically. "Let's start right now!" He exclaims, setting the things he was holding down and running a hand through his hair. Levi sighs.

"Right now?" Eren nods again. "Do you want me to tell you what I'm doing before I do it?" Levi asks, and Eren thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

"It will feel more comfortable if you just do it. I don't want to get all worried beforehand." Eren replies, thinking that it will be easier to just let it come naturally. Levi nods, seeming to be deep in thought for a long moment before coming to some kind of conclusion.

"Okay." The raven says, before beginning to walk closer to Eren. Instinctively, his body begins to shake. Levi's eye twitches when he sees this. When the other man is only a few steps from Eren, the brunette unconsciously snaps his eyes shut, shying away for fear of an impending kick. However, at the sensation of hands taking hold of his, his eyes slowly open again. Levi is holding his hands gently, his pale skin cold against Eren's own. They stay like that for a while, Eren's body still trembling like a leaf but feeling less afraid than he did before. It's nice, just holding hands like this. It's comforting.

Eventually, Levi lets go, and Eren feels slightly disappointed. "That's enough for today. We'll meet here again tomorrow and do this again, same time. I'll go back first so as not to push it." Levi says, before giving a short wave and walking back to the castle. Eren watches him leave, and eventually his body goes still again.


	17. Struggling

_Levi_

This is turning out to be far more difficult for Levi than he thought it would be. He's currently in the field behind the castle with Eren, having another one of their "sessions", as Eren has started calling them. While the raven is absolutely fucking overjoyed at being able to be around Eren again after weeks of the beauty avoiding him, the strain on his self control is really fucking him up.

During the weeks when Eren refused to be around him, Levi was almost driven to insanity. He would follow Eren everywhere, at first just to try and corner him, to confront him, but after seeing how that didn't work, he would just follow to watch the green eyed beauty. If he couldn't be near him, he could at least always have him in his sights, always know what he's doing. Because of this, he'd been neglecting his duties, but Erwin didn't seem to care. Levi supposed that the fucking bastard knew that Levi would be too much of a wreck to do them anyway.

Levi would watch as Eren would often fall asleep under a particularly large tree, trying to get whatever sleep he could after wandering the castle all night long. During those moments, Levi would get closer, relishing in the rare time he would receive where he could be near the breathtaking man without him running away in fear. He would run his hands through Eren's hair gently, or ghost his fingers against the brunette's smooth cheeks.

If Eren was running on an extremely little amount of sleep, Levi was even worse. Even when he did force himself to rest rather than follow Eren, the aching pain in his chest would often prevent him from getting any sleep. Ever since things between he and Eren have changed, there's been a horrid ache within him that won't go away. The knowledge that the person he loves is afraid of him is killing him slowly. All the physical pain he's experienced is nothing compared to what that information makes him feel.

One day, after seeing the way Eren fainted during training, Levi decided he couldn't allow this anymore. The only reason he let it go on for so long is that he didn't want to push Eren into doing something he didn't want to do. But it had gone too far.

So, Levi had watched Eren and his two friends, (whom Levi had decided he despises purely out of jealousy for being able to get close to Eren), go out into the field behind the castle. Eren had looked more lively than he had in days now that he was once again out in nature. The sight had made the raven's aching heart soar. He tried to let Eren have some time to enjoy himself before doing what must be done.

After an hour, Levi had sealed off his feelings with a fucking brick wall, and had strode to where the three brats were gallivanting. "Oi, you two, fucking scram." He snapped, just wanting to get this over with. He didn't want to see the way Eren tensed up and trembled whenever Levi got near him. The raven just wanted to go back to the shadows and imagine being able to walk freely beside Eren as he watched the green eyed beauty from a distance.

The gloomy brat looked ready to murder Levi, and he recalled her reaction in the court room. _This fucking bitch is in love with Eren, isn't she?_ Levi thought, feeling ready to kill her right back. Even though he no longer had a chance with Eren, doesn't mean that he would fucking let anyone _else_ have the beautiful man. Eren was and always would be his and only his. The coconut kid had all but dragged her away, for which the raven was thankful because he didn't want to scare Eren even more by beating the shit out of his friend.

However, when they were alone, and Levi stared as Eren avoided meeting his eyes as though the brunette's life fucking depended on it. It made Levi feel as though there was absolutely no reason to continue on anymore. This fucking world is a shit show, and Eren was the only light in it. Levi didn't even know that he was dead inside until Eren brought him to life. Without the ocean eyed beauty, there just wasn't a single fucking point to anything anymore.

"Levi, is something wrong?" Eren's voice was soft, filled with trepidation, and it broke Levi's heart. He was surprised by that, because he truly didn't think there was anything left to fucking break.

"This has got to fucking stop, Eren. You're hardly sleeping, hardly eating, just to avoid me. I understand that you hate me now, but stop ruining your health because of it." Levi all but choked the words out. He felt physically ill when he had to verbally spell out what was now the truth. Eren hated him. The raven couldn't stand it, couldn't even breathe anymore.

"I don't." Eren had murmured, and Levi just wanted to get this over with. He just wanted to leave, to disappear, not argue with Eren about having to take care himself.

"You don't what?" Levi snapped, desperate to finally escape this suffocating distance between them.

"I don't hate you! I just feel strange whenever I'm around you. My body starts trembling and I just think of the pain. I've never been hurt by someone like that, I mean physically. I don't blame you, and I'm not angry, and I don't hate you. I just am struggling to process it. My body is the one that is afraid." Eren had all but exploded, and Levi's entire body went still. The Captain was scared, terrified to hope that what he just heard was real and not a desperate dream. He stared at Eren, trying to wrap his head around that, to try and convince himself that he wasn't hallucinating.

Levi realized that he had just been standing there like a fucking idiot, not saying anything. "So..." He tried to get his mouth to fucking form words. "What you're saying is that your body is instinctively scared whenever you're around me, because it remembers me as being a source of physical pain?" At Eren's nod of confirmation, the pieces of Levi's heart fucking snapped back into place just a little bit. Elation unlike anything he'd experienced surged through him. _Eren doesn't hate me. Oh my fucking god..._ He thought to himself, wanting to smile like a god damn idiot.

But, that doesn't mean that Eren wasn't afraid of him. Though it was almost worse than the green eyed beauty hating him, Levi would take anything at that point. Fear could be overcome. "So, if I could reprogram your body to associate me with something positive, you would stop being afraid?" But just how is he going to teach Eren's body not to fear him anymore? If his body associates Levi with physical pain, could the raven somehow teach it to relate him with pleasant sensations? Would it be as simple as just overwriting the pain with something positive? But what the hell could he do in order to achieve that? What is physically enjoyable enough to push past all that agony?

A sudden thought struck him like lightening and his entire body heated up. Affection and pleasure, that would be powerful enough to teach Eren's body to feel comfortable in Levi's presence again. _No, no fucking way! There's no way I'm fucking doing that!_ Levi thought to himself, his cheeks overly warm and his dick straining at his uniform just at the thought of touching Eren again.

"Yes! If we could do that, I'm sure that everything would go back to how it was." Eren had sounded ecstatic, and it shook Levi's resolve. Seeing the green eyed beauty's stunning face light up made him completely weak in the knees. "Though, what would we do?" Levi groans internally, suddenly extremely tired. If Eren was okay with it, and if Levi was able to control himself, the raven decided that he would do it. Though it would be torturous to have to hold back so much, if it means being able to go back to the way things were, Levi would have to suck it up. _For god's sake, I'm acting as though this is some kind of punishment. Being able to touch Eren is a fucking dream, but doing it in this way is not something I had in mind._

"There is a way, but I'm not sure if it's the best idea." Levi had replied, but instantly regretted it when Eren beamed at him in excitement like an innocent little kid. The raven couldn't help but feel like he was polluting someone so pure just by suggesting that. 

"If there's something we can do, I want to do it, no matter what it is." Eren had declared, sounding utterly sure, and Levi couldn't help but want to smack his palm against his forehead. This brat is just so oblivious, how was he going to be able to explain this?

"You don't understand, brat. I'm talking about intimate things, like physically intimate interactions. That's just the most powerful form of physical, positive interaction that I know of. I mean I guess we could try something like, I give you good food whenever I'm around you--" Levi didn't even get to finish his very awkward and strained explanation, because Eren just butted in.

"No, if this is the best way to do it, then we'll do it. Unless you're uncomfortable with it." The beautiful man said firmly, and something in those stunning eyes kept Levi from arguing. He really looked so sure. However, Levi couldn't help but scowl at Eren's words. The brat _still_ didn't realize that the silvered eyed man was fucking hopelessly, stupidly, ridiculously in love with him? Eren's face fell as he saw Levi's expression, and the older man felt like punching something out of frustration. How could this person not see how badly Levi _did_ want to touch him?

"It's not that. I want to, but I don't want to take advantage of you or fucking scare you even more by making you do something you aren't emotionally ready to." The raven explained, sure that Eren would finally understand. However, the chocolate haired beauty just tilted his head to the side in confusion. Levi wanted to fucking scream.

"You wouldn't be taking advantage of me. You'd be helping me get over this trauma or whatever the hell it is. If I didn't like something, I'd tell you." Eren had assured the soldier, and Levi's breath hitched at those very enticing words. He let himself briefly entertain the idea of finally being able to get a taste of those sinful lips... The raven scrubbed a hand over his mouth in an attempt to hold back the predatory growl that threatened to escape him at the thought. If he had it his way, he would pin Eren down right fucking now and teach that delicious body just how good he can make it feel.

"I'll take it slow. If at any point you want to stop, just tell me and I will... if I can." Levi murmurs, feeling frustrated that Eren didn't seem to take any notice of the last part of his words. "We'll start by doing a little each day, okay? So just, please sleep in your own bed and eat a proper amount of food, you shitty brat."

"Let's start right now!" Eren had all but cheered, and Levi couldn't help but be touched by how eager the brunette was. It seemed that this predicament had been bothering Eren almost as much as it had been eating Levi alive. This served to encourage the raven and bolster his confidence.

"Right now?" Another nod. "Do you want me to tell you what I'm doing before I do it?" Levi had questioned softly, daring to get excited. He hasn't properly felt Eren in weeks, and it's been torturing him.

"It will feel more comfortable if you just do it. I don't want to get all worried beforehand." Eren had replied after a moment of thinking it over. Levi couldn't help but be relieved, because he too didn't want it to seem forced. He wanted Eren to enjoy it, to grow to want it as badly as the Captain does. However, how should Levi start? With a hug? _No, it seems too soon for that._ Levi thought about it for a moment before realizing what he could do.

"Okay." He said before starting to approach the chocolate haired beauty. However, his excitement was dampened as he saw how afraid Eren got when he came closer. He hated it, hated it so fucking much that it was driving him crazy. He would do anything, _anything_ to make that stop, to ease Eren's fear. Those beautiful eyes clench shut, his body shying away from Levi. _I'm so fucking sorry, Eren. I'll fix this._ The raven thought, before gently taking those beautiful caramel hands in his.

The touch is like electricity, jolting through him and he almost fucking came undone just at the feel of that incredible heat bleeding into him again for the first time in _far_ too long. But he restrained himself from desperately seeking out more of that warmth, and tenderly held Eren's hands. Eventually, Eren seemed to relax a little bit, and after a while longer, Levi decided that he should stop there before he overwhelmed the brunette.

As he had walked away, he had replayed the moment over and over in his head, before going to his quarters and finally getting some proper sleep for the first time in weeks.

So now here he is, in the field, hugging Eren softly. It's not a full hug, only one arm around that perfect body, but it's something. Eren is shaking, his eyes shut as he accepts the gesture. It's been a week since they started doing this, and true to his word, Levi is going _very_ slow. This is their first time doing something other than just holding hands. The two talk as well, about anything and everything. It feels orgasmic just to be able to speak with Eren like that again.

"I think that's enough for now." Levi says, mostly just because he can't take anymore and is genuinely concerned he's going to just wrap his arms around Eren in a bone crushing hug and never let him go. Eren nods, opening his eyes again as he meets the raven's gaze. 

"Just, don't leave yet. I still would like to talk some more." Eren says softly, gracing Levi with a small smile that makes the silver eyed man's heart almost leap out of his fucking throat. Levi nods quickly, too quickly, and sits down on the grass a generous distance away from Eren. "About this mission..." The green eyed beauty begins, and Levi quirks a brow. Has Eren begun to suspect something?

"Yes?" Levi inquires as casually as possible when Eren remains quiet.

"I would like permission to transform if someone's life is in imminent danger." The brunette surprises Levi by asking. Relieved that Eren hasn't begun to have questions about the mission, the raven relaxes.

"No. You're only to do it if _your_ life is in danger or you receive express permission." Levi replies, leaning back on his hands as he watches the breathtaking man grow frustrated. Though you the only way you can tell his by a slight furrowing of those defined brows, because Eren's face is blank as it usually is.

"Why? I'm a member of the Scouts now, a solider. If I can save my comrades by transforming, why am I not allowed to do so?" Eren argues, staring at Levi intensely. It makes the raven shiver and his member twitch longingly. The Captain can't help but feel a swell of pride as he observes Eren's fervent desire to protect his comrades. Though he only became a soldier somewhat recently, Levi is convinced that he was born with the soul of one all along.

"Eren, I know that you're used to using your Titan as your main source of self defense or as your main weapon. But I want you to focus less on that and more on the things you're capable of when you're just yourself. You're skilled with ODM, and you're viscous with a blade. You're more than capable of fighting back the way you are right now." Levi tells him, taking care to be a bit more gentle than he usually is. "And, there are times in battle when it is more strategic not to fight, even if your comrades are dying. This is something you come to learn with more experience, but you need to hear about this now, because I have a feeling that you're going to have to make that decision very soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i said slow burn in the tags i really meant it


	18. Confessions

_Levi_

The Captain remembers the first time he saw it. They were in the forest of giant trees, and a random Scout had pulled Eren aside, revealing his feelings for the brunette. Levi was keeping a close eye on Eren from a nearby tree as he had politely said that he doesn't understand what the man was talking about. The second time, it was a much older man that was nearly drooling as he told Eren in a breathy voice that he can't stop thinking about him. Levi was on his way to gauge out the man's eyes as Eren nervously replied that he was sorry for making the man so uncomfortable.

The tenth time Levi witnessed Eren being confessed to, the brunette was tending to his horse, when a woman not much older than him had seductively attempted to entice Eren with her fully unbuttoned shirt and honeyed words. Levi was hiding around the corner when Eren had asked if she wasn't cold and gave her his jacket. (Levi has noticed that Eren is very kind and respectful to women, when he asked about this, Eren revealed that his mother had told him to always behave properly towards females.)

The twenty first time Levi had seen an all too familiar and enraging scene was when Eren was cleaning the dining room, and Eld had approached him. Levi's own subordinate had the guts to tell Eren clearly that he was in love with the brunette, and asked if Eren would consider being with him. Levi was right outside the window when Eren had nervously said that he doesn't really understand such things and was very confused as to why Eld would feel that way about him. Levi had forced Eld to run until his legs couldn't move anymore that evening.

Needless to say, after witnessing forty three confessions, Levi isn't fucking surprised anymore when he learns through whispers that yet _another_ person has fallen in love with Eren. He's made each person pay for it, administering brutal punishments that rein anywhere from an ass beating (for the more perverted fuckers), to harsh labor or exercise. Most people know by now that Eren is off limits, though that doesn't stop them from falling for the stunning young man. Though the Captain does make every person that dares to pursue him regret it deeply.

So when Levi is walking to the stables to find Eren, and overhears the brunette's lovely voice say, "U-um, I really don't understand that kind of thing..." Levi starts to think up a new and unusual form of punishment for the person who has the guts to go after the man he loves. He walks silently up to the stables, flattening his back to the wall and peering in to get a look at his next victim. What he sees makes his entire soul burn with pure rage.

Erwin mother fucking, god damn Smith is standing there, arm against the wall, Eren backed up against it, looking down at the brunette with a seductive smile on his filthy fucking face. _That fucking bastard. I knew that he was up to something._ Levi thinks, so furious that he can't even stand it.

"I know that you don't, but I would help you learn. I would teach you about these things, Eren. It's nothing to be confused about or afraid of." That piece of _actual_ shit tells Eren in a silky voice practically dripping with innuendo. Eren blinks, looking up at the older man in puzzlement. 

"Commander--" 

"Please call me Erwin when it's just the two of us, Eren." 

"Mr. Erwin, I really don't get it. What exactly would you be teaching me?" Eren asks slowly, clearly not wanting to offend his superior. Levi wants to kiss Eren for unintentionally slighting the big blonde sack of crap by adding a "mister" to his name.

Erwin takes it in a stride, much to Levi's frustration, and smiles a bit wider. "I'd be teaching you about all the things you've never experienced before. I'd show you how fast your heart can beat when in the arms of your lover, or how warm your skin will become when I touch it. I'll show you a type of passion different from what you feel when you're killing Titans, the kind that makes your entire body shiver." Erwin breathes, and Eren frowns, still not understanding.

"My heart beats very fast when I'm around this one person, and my skin is always really warm because I'm a shifter. As for passion, when I kill a Titan, goosebumps spread all over my body and I get this incredible rush of ecstasy. So, I think I already know about these things, Mr. Erwin. I'm sorry but I don't really think there's anything for you to teach me, with all due respect, Sir." Eren responds, putting some distance between him and a now very irritated looking caterpillar-brow piece-o-shit. Levi has never loved Eren's astounding obliviousness more than in this moment. He's so proud that he doesn't even catch that Eren said that someone _does_ make his heart race.

The raven strides into the stables, earning a surprised look from Eren and a harsh glare from the fucking scourge of the earth that is Erwin Smith. Levi smirks, draping his arm around Eren's shoulders. Eren is only slightly shaking now when around the raven, and this emboldens Levi even more as he glares at Erwin smugly. "Oi, Erwin, stop bothering Eren, your boyfriend Mike is looking for you." Levi remarks casually, loving the way that blonde prick's bushy brow twitches in annoyance.

"Oh, Commander, I didn't know Mike was your boyfriend. Though, I thought that's what you were asking me to be? Does one usually have two boyfriends? I thought boyfriends were different from just regular friends though..." Eren says with a genuine innocence that Levi suddenly profoundly respects because he just thoroughly rejected Erwin without even fucking realizing it. _I've got to marry this brat._

"Eren, let's resume this conversation at a later date. Good afternoon, Captain Levi." Erwin replies smoothly, and Levi wants nothing more than to ram his boot into that fucking golden boy face. When the Commander leaves the stables, Levi envelopes Eren in a tight hug, lifting his feet off the ground as he squeezes him.

"Brat, you're the fucking best." Levi tells him, loving it when Eren hugs him back with slightly less hesitation than the last time he embraced him.

"What did I do?" Eren asks as Levi sets him back down. Levi ruffles his hair and gazes at him fondly.

"Don't worry about it." Levi replies, deciding to help Eren feed the horses as a reward.

* * *

On the day before the mission, Eren receives exactly fifteen declarations of love, each soul embolden by the threat of impending death from the fast approaching expedition. And this is just before midday. As noon rolls around, Levi is already in a foul mood that will not be abetted now many how many times Hanji tries to assure him with a tone of amusement that Eren is still his. Of course, the beautiful brunette rejected every single confession, living up to his recently acquired nickname of, "The Untouchable One". Levi finds that he likes that title very much. 

As evening comes, with Eren amassing seven more confessions, Levi is practically fuming as he angrily sips his tea at the dinner table. Petra is blathering about something or other, trying to get the Captain's attention. But his silver gaze is fixed quite firmly on Eren, who chats contentedly with his friends across the room. The brat _should_ be sitting with Levi, but the raven decides to let it slide.

"Captain, this is getting ridiculous. You're his superior, you shouldn't lower yourself by harboring feelings for a new recruit of such... _unsavory_ origins." Petra's abrasive voice reaches the Captain's ears, and he turns his head, his glare deadly as he stares at Petra. The other members of the Levi squad tense, their eyes wide and faces shocked. Petra herself seems quite taken aback by her words.

"What did you say?" Levi asks quietly, his voice so low that its almost a growl. Petra jumps, beginning to sweat nervously as she fidgets in her seat. Oruo opens his mouth to defend the woman, but Levi shoots him a look of malice that instantly shuts him up.

"Captain Levi, pardon me, I--" The bitch begins to stammer, but Levi won't allow her to continue.

"What. Did. You. Fucking. Say." The raven enunciates, demanding an answer. Petra's eyes begin to water as she grips the edge of the table.

"Sir, I said that you should free yourself from this meaningless crush and finally realize that Eren isn't worthy of you." The tawny haired woman says, summoning some amount of courage as she straightens her back. Levi is deathly quiet for a long moment as he stares at her, shocked by her gall. Words cannot begin to describe the level of rage he is currently feeling as her statement fucking ricochets inside his head.

"So who is 'worthy' of me, Petra? You, a desperate bitch who wags her tail at anyone who will give her even a modicum of attention? And speaking of unsavory origins, I was born in a fucking brothel in the underground, and was a street rat for most of my adolescence. If Eren's origins are unsavory, then mine must be fucking repulsive, you stupid fucking bitch. Get the _fuck_ out of my sight before I cut that filthy tongue out of your head." Levi says in a monotone voice promising pain. Sobbing, the woman bolts from her chair, running out of the dining hall like a pussy.

Oruo levels a glare at Levi that mildly impresses him. "Did you have to say that, Sir? You know that Petra has been in love with you for ages. You just broke her heart." Oruo snaps, vibrating with indignation. Levi cocks a brow and takes another sip of his tea, arm slung over the back of his chair comfortably.

"Should you really be upset about that, Oruo? Maybe now she will finally look your way." The Captain says casually, and Oruo slams his hands down on the table. Everyone looks over at them in surprise. The older man stomps out of the dining hall, allowing the door to bang closed behind him.

The raven is unbothered, feeling his mood lighten now that those two are gone. Gunther and Eld look at their Captain nervously. "Captain Levi, I know that they were out of line, but perhaps it would have been better to peacefully resolve things? The mission is tomorrow, and our squad needs to be able to work together." Eld hesitantly speaks up. Levi sets his cup down and looks blankly at the dirty blonde haired man.

"I'm surprised that you didn't say something, considering that you're also in love with Eren. Didn't it bother you when Petra spoke of him like that?" Levi retorts, and his subordinate swallows nervously. Gunther's eyes are the size of saucers at that information as he glances between the two men.

"Sorry, Sir, I shouldn't have said anything. Forgive me." Eld murmurs, sinking down into his seat and staring at his plate. But Levi isn't ready to let it go. He's had enough of every single fucking human on this planet today.

"Maybe you _don't_ really love Eren, maybe you just want to fuck him, like every other bastard here. Maybe, when you were _confessing_ to him, you should've just asked him to let you do him. Or do you resent Eren now, just like those two? Because that would be pretty fucking pathetic." Levi snaps, growing angrier. He's so tired of all of this, of everyone left and right either scorning Eren or wanting to have sex him, or both. They don't even _know_ him, not really, not the way Levi does. 

Not waiting to hear Eld's answer, Levi pushes away from the table, striding out of the hall without another word. As he storms through the halls, he knows that he may have pushed it. Eld was right, they have a mission tomorrow, and discord between them could be a matter of life or death. Levi is usually rude and harsh, but he's never gotten properly angry like that before.

Feeling like a piece of shit, and feeling like everyone else is an even bigger piece of shit, Levi walks down the steps to Eren's cell. He often finds himself coming here when Eren isn't around, just to be surrounded by his scent. It helps whenever Levi gets too pissed off, or frustrated, or lost. It's so quiet down here, and doesn't look nearly as bad now that Eren has decorated. Dried plants hang from the ceiling, and branches in swirling designs have been fixed to the wall. The carving of Eren's mother has also been hung up, along with a mirror. On the desk, a bottle of that strange perfume, some of the books they brought back from the cabin, and jars of forest herbs sit along with a quill and a journal.

Levi plops down on Eren's bed with a heavy sigh. He's exhausted in every way possible. He wonders to himself if he simply isn't cut out to be a Captain anymore. Before, he was good at it. He was cold, distant, and able to make decisions without letting emotion interfere. It made it simple to keep his squad in line but together. Now, he's too emotional, something he never thought he'd be. Eren just makes him that way. Levi's entire life is intrinsically wound into Eren's. Whatever happens in the brunette's life, affects Levi intimately, and thus affects his duties.

"Levi? Are you down here?" A beautiful voice calls, plucking Levi from his wallowing. As the light patter of footsteps reaches the Captain's ears, he finds that he doesn't have the fucking energy to get up before Eren catches him sitting on the his bed. As a lovely head of chocolate hair comes into view, Levi visibly relaxes. It's amazing how Eren's mere presence can put him so at ease. "There you are, I saw you leave the dining hall looking upset, so I went searching for you. You walk weirdly fast when you're angry." Eren jokes, walking into the cell and leaning against the wall as those emerald eyes bore into the raven.

"It's because my legs are longer." Levi retorts monotonously, loving the way those perfect lips tilt up in the corners whenever he jests. For some reason, Eren always finds him amusing. Eren nods, accepting the truth of Levi's statement.

"True, but your arms are kind of short. It looks wrong." Eren says, earning a pointed glare from the Captain despite knowing that the brat is only joking. The brunette smiles slightly at that. "So, what's wrong?" Levi sighs and falls back, back thumping onto the mattress. 

"Everyone is a fucking idiot and I'm the most idiotic of all." Levi responds tiredly, staring up at the stone ceiling that is pitch black because the candlelight fails to reach that far. Eren hums in acknowledgement.

"I don't think that's true, for what it's worth. What happened that's making you think this way?" Eren questions, and Levi can hear him shifting his feet. He feels quite annoyed that Eren is so far away instead of on the bed with him.

"Some fucking idiot insulted you, and then another fucking prick defended them, and then another fucking asshole pointed out that I may have been a bit harsh." Is Levi's answer, earning another thoughtful hum from Eren. Levi fucking loves that sound. "I just can't fucking take it anymore. Everyone either wants to fuck you or judges you. Sometimes both of them at the same time. It gets on my fucking nerves." The raven rants, feeling a familiar fire in his belly at the thought of it.

"I don't really understand what you--" Eren begins, but Levi has neither the patience nor the will to entertain the brunette's obliviousness.

"Eren, for fuck's sake, people want to have sex with you because they _like_ you, as more than just a comrade or a friend. Or, they want to have sex with you because you're the most beautiful thing they've ever seen. They want to make you moan, want to hear you say their name, want to kiss you and bite you and lick you and feel your bare skin in their hands." Levi all but explodes, sitting up and glaring at Eren. The raven knows that he's not talking about other people anymore.

Eren, for the first time ever, blushes, and he blushes _deeply._ Levi is utterly shocked by the sight and his silver eyes turn to saucers as he stares. Eren looks so insanely gorgeous that it's difficult to comprehend. "W-what? They want to k-k-k-kiss me?" The brunette stutters, hands waving about as he shakes his head. Levi is dumbfounded. _That_ _'s what made him finally fucking get it? Kissing?_ "No, no that can't be right." Eren insists. Levi stands.

"Eren, there are _much_ more intimate things than kissing. Sex is like, if you were to take kissing and increase it a thousand times." Levi tries to explain, eager to get Eren to _finally_ understand. Eren looks positively astounded and if possible, gets even redder as he realizes just what people have been looking for from him.

"A thousand times? Holy fucking shit! I had no idea! I thought it was just this sort of unimportant thing!" Eren all but squeaks, looking so incredibly flustered that Levi can't help but laugh. He laughs hard, his whole body shaking from the force of it as he clutches his abdomen and tears come to his eyes. The look on Eren's face just makes him laugh even harder, until he can hardly breathe.

"Do you finally get what I've been telling you, you shitty brat?" Levi chuckles, struggling to catch his breath as Eren looks positively mortified. He nods tersely, pouting a bit.

"So, all of that other stuff, is that more intimate than kissing?" Eren asks for clarification, referring to the other things Levi listed. Levi nods. Eren flushes again and runs a hand through his hair.

"Oh my god... so when the Commander said..." Eren trails off, looking horrified.

"Yeah. But you put him in his place though." Levi reassures him, and Eren looks a bit consoled by that.

"People are so... _weird._ I can't believe they want to do that kind of thing with me." The brunette murmurs, looking perturbed. Though Levi is happy that Eren is put off by other people's advances, he doesn't want the brat to become opposed to the idea entirely.

"It's not weird, per say. It's normal to want to touch the person they're attracted to. However, if the other person isn't interested, then it's not very good." Levi explains lamely, and wants to punch himself in the fucking face. He feels like he's explaining the birds and the bees to a kid for the first time, and is doing a piss poor job at it. Eren tilts his head in confusion.

"I think you're attractive, does that mean that I want to touch you?" Eren asks innocently and Levi chokes, erupting into a fit of coughs. He can hardly believe what just came out of those perfect lips. Instantly, his dick is absolutely raging and his face is far too warm as he struggles to compose himself. Eren looks bewildered and alarmed by Levi's reaction as the raven swallows hard and scratches the back of his neck while trying to get is thoughts to a place that isn't: _I am going to rip his fucking clothes off and pound into him until I can't fucking breathe anymore._

"Well, are you attracted to a lot of people?" Levi questions first, to better ascertain what it is that Eren is asking exactly. The brunette thinks seriously for a moment.

"No, I may think someone is pretty or good looking, but I don't find them particularly attractive." Eren replies, and Levi's heart practically stampedes in his chest. An intoxicating rush of pure fucking joy consumes him. He feels like he's on the fucking moon in this moment. He never thought he would see the day when Eren fucking Yeager tells him that he finds Levi attractive. Never in a million fucking years.

The raven is about to interrogate Eren about this, when a sudden voice interrupts them. Levi, intent on brutal murder of the most cruel degree, whips his head around as coconut head and the gloomy brat enter the room. The blonde looks startled by the Captain's presence, where as Mikasa looks ready to kill. _Me fucking first, you god damn pricks. I was finally fucking getting somewhere!_ Without another word, Levi storms from the room, fully intending to continue this conversation when they return from the mission. If they return.


	19. Female Titan

_Levi_

He hates how afraid, how confused Eren sounds as he begs Levi to explain why he can't transform and save the people who are dying right behind them as the female Titan powers forward, intent on capturing Eren. It's just as that fucking Erwin said, the Titan shifters intent on destroying humanity are after the green eyed beauty. 

Even his own squad looks frightened and confused as Levi powers forward. The screams of their comrades can barely be heard over the pounding of Titan feet and the thundering of the horses' hooves. As Petra yells at Eren, Levi knows exactly what's going through the brunette's mind. He wants to save them, the people who are dying, and is prepared to do it alone if he has to. 

"You aren't wrong. If you want to do it, do it." Levi says, staring straight ahead. The next words he intends to speak make him want to choke. "I can tell. He's a real monster. And it has nothing to do with his Titan power. No matter what power you use to suppress him, no matter what cage you put him in, he will never submit to anyone." Levi knows he has to say it, has to be harsh to get through to Eren, but he hates it all the same. "Eren, the difference between your decision and ours is experience. But you don't have to rely on that. Choose. Believe in yourself. Or believe in the Survey Corps and me." He wills Eren to remember their conversation from a week ago, to trust that Levi wouldn't make the decision to leave his comrades to die for nothing. 

"I don't know... I never have. I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of the companions I trust. But no one ever knows how it will turn out. So choose for yourself which ever decision you'll regret least." Levi can hear Eren's heavy breathing so clearly, even over the sound of the chaos around them. It's so strange, and a second seems to stretch on into a lengthy expanse of time that wraps around the raven, suffocating him. "You're taking too long! Decide!" Levi glares back at Eren, who's beautiful face is twisted with pain and doubt. 

"I'll go with you!" Eren shouts, and Levi's eyes widen as he stares at the utterly breathtaking man, wind whipping his long brown hair around roughly as sweat drips from that perfect amber skin and is carried away. 

Levi faces forward again, heart surging as he prays to himself that Eren's trust in him isn't for nothing. This needs to work, there can be no other outcome. He doesn't want Eren to regret his decision. "Target is accelerating!" 

"Go! We will outrun it." The raven orders, his body taught as death hangs over their heads. Levi can hardly think, hardly breathe as everything within him is pushing him forward, propelling him to the finish line. And as he hears those canons fire, relief surges through him dazzlingly. 

As Levi and Mike try and try again to cut open the fucking bitch's nape, the raven's rage mounts. That fucking coward, that fucking whore, she dares try to take Eren away from him, to kill his comrades, but refuses to properly face her punishment? 

He lands on top of her stupidly big head, taunting her, attempting to illicit some sort of response. "You're okay with me cutting of your limbs at the joints, right? I mean, they'll grow back. I'm talking about your actual body. Don't want you dead just yet. Timing wouldn't work." Levi says slowly, clearly, ensuring that the fucking bitch can hear every word he speaks as he stares down at her. "You thought you could just take him? Steal him from me? I'll kill anyone who tries in a way that you, the murderer that you are, won't even be able to imagine." He adds, more softly, for her ears only. There's a shift in the air, a perceptible desperation that emanates from the female Titan beneath his boots. And then, all fucking hell breaks loose as she opens her mouth and screams. 

As Levi shoots through the trees, the corpses of his subordinates greets him at every turn as he desperately races towards the sound of Eren's enraged roars. A cold, detached feeling crawls through him. And as he is confronted with Petra, crushed against he tree, he finds his body stopping. Memories of the night before, of his harsh words to her assault him. Guilt takes his breath away, and for a brief moment that seems all too much like an eternity, he hangs there, looking down at his comrade whom he should have protected. 

Another yell has him moving again, though he doesn't even realize it. His body is driven forward by its instinctual fucking need to protect the man he loves. As he finally catches sight of a massive blonde head, he rounds a tree a few hundred meters away, only to have his entire world go dark as he sees Eren being pulled out of his Titan body by that bitch's fucking teeth. As he watches that delicate, beautiful body disappear into that filthy mouth, he can't even breathe, can't fucking hear anything. It's as if everything was sucked into a void, or maybe it is Levi that's been pulled into that empty nothingness. 

As Levi relishes in the feel of his blades slicing that searing flesh to ribbons, all he can think of is the likelihood that Eren is already dead. His form whips through the air on sheer murderous instinct as he tries to make this fucking bitch feel even a hint of his pain. He can't take it, it's suffocating him. It's so hot, all this blood and wrath. It's burning him from the inside out. 

But as he finally gets that woman's mouth open, finally sees that Eren is whole, is still in this world, Levi grabs him and shoots forward in a heartbeat. There are no words to describe the euphoria, the utter ecstasy in the form of relief that consumes him as he feels Eren's familiar warmth seep into the raven's bones. 

As they return to their base, everyone's eyes are haunted as they all struggle to believe that they made it back alive when so many of them didn't. Levi is just putting one foot in front of the other, mechanically, numbly. He still expects to hear his squad bickering behind him, trying to pull their Captain into their meaningless conversation. But, they aren't here anymore, and there's only silence instead of their voices. 

Levi descends the steps into the basement, not really sure where he's going or what it is he's trying to do. Silver eyes are unfocused as his body instinctively seeks comfort. He's come here so many times whenever he was troubled that he just finds himself here without even realizing it. 

The raven is pulled from his grief induced dazed when the sound of muffled sobs reaches his ears. He rounds the corner, and sees that it is very dim in here. A lone, flickering light caresses the damp stone walls in a way that should be loving, but only strikes him as haunting. The large, empty space seems impossibly full. Stuffed to the brim with grief and regret and guilt to the point where it's smothering. Eren's distinct scent permeates the air, stronger than usual, and as Levi approaches the cell that Eren calls home, the beautiful brunette's curled body comes into view. 

Sobs wrack that lovely form, harsh and unforgiving as Eren weeps quietly into his pillow. The agony in those cries is almost a physical thing that wraps its cold arms around Levi. The raven watches as the man he loves grips the pillow so hard that those tanned knuckles turn impossibly white. 

Levi enters the cell without a word, crossing the way over to the bed where the green eyed beauty lies, broken and in pain. Saying nothing, even when Eren flinches in surprise, the raven climbs onto the mattress, gathering Eren up in his arms and just holds him like that as they both lie there. The chocolate haired beauty eventually relaxes, melting into Levi as he continues to cry. 

Warmth, and the smell of herbs and berries and wilderness envelope Levi in a gentle embrace. Though the hole in his chest, savagely punched out by grief, is still there, a sense of peace fills him. A feeling of completeness has him closing his eyes and allowing his aching body to release all of its tension. 

"I-I'm so sorry. I made the wrong choice, Levi, and my choice got everyone killed." Eren sobs, and Levi slowly opens his eyes. He sees the side of Eren's smooth cheek, coated with tears and flushed with emotion. Levi understands exactly what the younger man is feeling, because those same emotions are tormenting him. 

"No one ever knows how it will turn out, Eren. No one." The soldier whispers, burying his nose in Eren's impossibly soft hair and breathing in deeply. Slowly, the heat that Eren gives him is chasing away the deathly chill that holds his bones captive. 

"I should never have come here. If I hadn't come, then she wouldn't have killed everyone to try and capture me. This is all my fault, all of those deaths..." Eren's voice sounds so small, just like it did when Levi witnessed him at his parent's graves. "I want to go home..." Levi almost doesn't hear it, but he does. The raven's heart breaks at those desperate words. If Eren had never saved Levi, if they hadn't met, Eren would still be back there, in that cabin with only the trees to keep him company. He'd be alone, but he wouldn't get to know the hell of feeling like someone's death is on your hands.

"We'll go back there, just the two of us, when all of this is over. I promise you, Eren." Levi vows, holding Eren tighter as the brunettes body trembles as he cries. "Eren, your presence here is the only thing that gives humanity any hope. If it weren't for you, Wall Rose would have been breached, and humanity would either be starving to death or killing each other off." The Captain says softly, hating that the man he loves is in pain and that it's largely his fault. He convinced Eren to return with him. He dragged the green eyed beauty into the hell of being a soldier. 

For what? So Eren could become a weapon, wielded by one branch of the government and taken apart by another? So Eren could get to experience what it is truly like being a human, trapped behind walls and forced to watch the ones you care about die? Or worse, so Levi wouldn't have to live without him? If so, why hadn't he just stayed with him? If he had, they would still be in that cabin, chatting idly as that ever present quiet made their eyes droop tiredly. They would say goodnight to one another, and be able to sleep peacefully, the sunlight tickling their lids open and welcoming a new day of simplicity and peace. 

But now here they are, in a prison bed, both too broken to move. They're beaten down by grief, by despair, by guilt and regret. All Levi wants is for Eren to smile, and to be able to smile with him. He craves the sound of Eren's laughter punctuated by his own. Those gorgeous oceanic eyes sparkling with mirth and happiness meeting silver ones full of admiration and wonder at his own luckiness, that's what Levi dreams about. 

But instead, tears leak from underneath inky lashes, trailing down pale skin as Levi struggles to come to terms with the idea that he may have ruined their chance at peace by making the decision not to disappear from the world of the walls, to not stay hidden in that cabin until they both grew old and decayed in each other's arms. That's what it should be like, but it isn't. 

"Levi, please don't disappear..." Eren whispers, and Levi tightens his hold on the brunette. He won't ever let go of this warmth, of this deceptively frail body. He swears it. 

"I won't, ever." Levi promises, realizing that the brunette has already cried himself to sleep.


	20. After Stohess

_Levi_

Levi walks into the room where Eren is resting after his battle with Annie. The brunette is standing by the window, slightly leaning his face out of it and indulging in some fresh air and sunshine. His eyes are closed, his lashes slightly trembling in the breeze that kisses that exquisite face. 

"Levi." Eren says without opening his eyes, and the older man wonders how the green eyed beauty knew it was him that just entered the room as he leans against the wall and stares at Eren's side profile. The younger man turns his head with a slight smile, opening those bewitching eyes to look at the raven. "I recognize the sound of your footsteps." Eren explains, seeming to read Levi's mind. 

"How're you feeling, brat? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Levi asks, glad to see that Eren doesn't look as pallid and sickly as he did a few days ago. The Captain has noticed that the shifter's body is more exhausted the longer he remains in Titan form. After such an intense battle, it makes sense that Eren has been out of commission for the past few days. 

"I'm fine now. I just feel horrible that I let Annie seal herself up like that." Eren replies, moving to sit down on the side of his bed. The piece of furniture creaks under the brunette's weight. "But when I saw her face, and she was crying, I just couldn't help but hesitate. I've never had to fight against humans before. It was easier to forget that she was one when all I could see was her Titan, but when I actually saw her face to face..." 

"Did you know that such an ability was possible, to crystallize her human body like that? I know you said you didn't know that Titan's could harden their skin when you were questioned after the first battle with the Female Titan, but..." Levi inquires, still unsure of the scope of Eren's knowledge about Titans. Eren shakes his head with a sigh. 

"No. My father never really went into much detail about transforming. I've seen his Titan before, because he had to use it to kill Titans to protect us, but he never told me anything about it even when I asked. I only knew how to trigger the transformation. I think he was intending to tell me more about it when I was older, but as you know, it didn't work out like that. Though I've mastered my transformation, I'm still pretty ignorant about how it works for other people." Eren answers, repeating what Levi already knew. The raven nods. 

"Do you think you can use that same ability to make your Titan stronger in a fight?" Levi questions next, and Eren looks conflicted. He hates that this is what they need to talk about right now, but there isn't another option. These are all things that need to be discussed, and he would rather do it himself then let Erwin or Hanji interrogate the brunette for information. 

"I may be able to learn how to do it, but I didn't even know it _could_ be done in the past so I've never tried before." Is Eren's response, and it's clear that the green eyed beauty is feeling insecure. Everyone is looking to him for answers and solutions that the young man isn't prepared to give them. Levi sighs, hating that so much pressure is being put on the man he loves. 

"Even if you can't right now, we'll figure something out. Don't worry so much, brat. I don't expect you to know everything." The Captain attempts to lift the younger man's spirits. Eren runs an elegant hand through his chocolate tresses. 

"You may not expect me to, but it seems like everyone else does. I just don't want to let them down, but that seems to be all I have been doing." Eren laments, sounding incredibly frustrated with himself. The raven desperately wants to cheer the brunette up, get his mind off of the things that are eating at him. The silver eyed man walks over to the bed, sitting beside Eren. The shifter immediately starts to tremble, but it isn't as bad as it once was, not nearly. 

"Well, fuck them. It's not your job to be perfect all of the time. You've already done things that no one else would be able to. No one else would've been able to seal the destroyed gate in Trost, and no one else would've been able to beat Annie." Levi tells him firmly, willing him to understand that he has already helped humanity more than he can imagine. While it may seem that everyone is constantly wanting more, that it's never enough, the raven wants Eren to know that it's enough for him. He wants the green eyed beauty to see that he's proud of him. Eren's eyes sparkle with hope in the prettiest way and makes Levi feel all warm. 

"Is that true?" Eren asks quietly. Levi nods and ruffles his hair, choosing to ignore the way the brunette flinches slightly. The shifter smiles a little bit, his cheeks becoming rosy with happiness. Levi absolutely adores that look on him. The two of them sit in companionable silence for a while, staring out the window and watch as a flock of geese languidly soar through the air. The raven notes the way Eren's eyes become glued to the birds, as though envious of their freedom. This gives him an idea. 

"Come, let's go take a walk outside." Levi proposes, standing and brushing off his pants. The younger man looks up at him questioningly. 

"I thought I was confined to the building?" Eren questions, and Levi scoffs ruefully.

"As though anyone would dare try to stop me. If I'm with you, no one will have a problem with it. Now hurry up, brat." The raven responds, waiting patiently while Eren shrugs on a jacket and some boots. Once the green eyed beauty is dressed, the two of them exit the room side by side. Levi leads him through the hallways until they come upon the door that leads to the modest garden. 

They walk outside, and immediately the chilly air of early evening greets them. The garden isn't the biggest or the most elaborate, but it has a few flower beds, some neatly trimmed shrubs, and a large willow tree with a bench beneath it. Levi wishes that he could take Eren somewhere better, but feels satisfied when he sees the way the beautiful man's impassive face lights up as he looks at the garden. 

Levi takes a seat at the bench and watches as Eren wanders around. That chocolate hair sways and lifts in the breeze in an almost gentle way. The sunlight kisses caramel skin affectionately, and the flowers almost seem to perk up when Eren gets close. Levi isn't sure if it's because the shifter's only companion was nature for so long, but it seems as though the wilderness herself loves the breathtaking man. 

Eren crouches down, watching a butterfly with golden wings flit from blossom to blossom peacefully. Those luscious lashes cast shadows on amber cheeks in the sunlight as Eren looks down at the insect. After a moment, the butterfly floats towards the green eyed beauty and lands on his nose. Levi can see why the winged creature would confuse Eren for a flower, because he is just as pretty as one. More so. The younger man seems dazzled by the butterfly, brightening and his cheeks going a bit pink with delight. He makes sure to stay still so as not to disturb the insect. The raven can't help but find it hopelessly adorable when Eren lowers those gorgeous eyes in disappointment once the butterfly departs from his nose in favor of a new flower. 

Levi loves these simple moments of peace with Eren. It brings him back to the time when it was just the two of them back in that forest. He misses how uncomplicated things were then. The Captain knows that Eren feels out of his element when he's not immersed in nature, and the silver eyed man feels glad that he can at least offer the brunette little moments like this outside. 

"Hey, Levi?" Eren suddenly asks while still watching the butterfly. Levi quirks a brow in question, his arm draped over the back of the bench he's currently seated on. 

"Yes, brat?" The raven responds curiously. Those emerald eyes meet his. 

"We haven't had one of our sessions in a while. I just want to finally be rid of this problem. I'm tired of not being totally comfortable around you, because moments with you like this are one of the only things that's keeping me from breaking down right now." Eren shocks Levi by saying. The raven haired man finds his pale cheeks heating up significantly. Levi can't even describe how much Eren's words mean to him. 

Levi stands, walking over to Eren slowly, who also rises. His heart is hammering in his chest and he's thrumming with anticipation. He gently holds Eren's stunning face in his hands. The raven allows himself a moment to brush his thumbs over the supple skin of the brunette's cheeks. Silver eyes, dark with desire, gaze into oceanic ones intensely before dipping down to those sinfully tempting lips. 

The raven slowly leans in, eyes still fixed on that rosy mouth. Eren is trembling, a blush splashing color across his cheeks. Levi gently captures those flawless lips. His eyes drift closed as he gingerly caresses Eren's mouth with his own. It's perfect, dizzying and so fucking wonderful that Levi can hardly stand it. Eren's heat bleeds into him seductively, and that addictive scent is almost smothering him. The brunette's lips are unbelievably soft against his own, and sinfully warm. 

He wants to taste Eren, to explore that hot mouth and make a moan escape it. He wants to smash that tight little body against his own and let his hands drift all over it. He wants to lay Eren down in the flowers and make the brunette his. It's not enough, not nearly enough to satisfy the burning hunger that is ravaging Levi. But the raven can't do those things, at least not yet. So, he only lingers for a few seconds, before pulling away, pressing his pale forehead against Eren's before stepping back. 

Eren is blushing deeply, biting his lip and looking at Levi shyly through lowered lashes. The expression on his face is doing crazy things to the raven who has to scrub a hand over his mouth to suppress the growl that threatens to escape him. Eren looks so fucking sexy that it just isn't fair. Levi is trying so hard to hold himself back, so why must the brunette continue to tempt him so much? 

The sexiest man on this fucking planet presses a hand to his chest and looks down. "My heart feels like its about to explode. Is that normal?" Eren asks in concern, and Levi can't help the victorious smirk that crawls onto his face. He feels an elated sense of satisfaction at knowing that Eren is responding to him. 

"Yes it is, you shitty brat." Levi replies, wanting nothing more than to pull Eren closer and kiss him until his heart really does burst. Those green eyes meet his again and the younger man sighs in relief. 

"So, is yours doing the same thing?" The brunette asks. Levi's eye twitches because this fucking brat is just too good at unintentionally being seductive and backing the raven into a corner. The silver eyed man scratches the back of his neck and averts his gaze. 

"Yeah, but it is always like this when I'm around you." The Captain mutters, hoping that Eren is too dense to read more into that. It doesn't feel like the right time for Eren to finally figure out how Levi feels about him. So much has happened recently that he would just prefer that they are in a more secure position before taking that step. Though, that's just what his rational mind is thinking, because every other fiber of his being is demanding that he scream it from the rooftops. He just wants to shout proudly how much he fucking loves this brat until Eren finally gets it. 

"Really? Me too! I thought there was something wrong with me, but it seems this is completely normal. Thank goodness. I thought maybe I was sick, especially that day that I hurt my hands and you were worried about me. My heart was beating so fast that I thought I was dying." Eren laughs light-heartedly and Levi's mouth drops open. _Huh? Did I just fucking hear that right? Eren's heart always races around me? And has been since we first met? What? How is this real?_ Levi thinks, utterly astonished. 

If Eren were like everyone else, Levi would assume that the beautiful man is in love with him, or wants to sleep with him. But when it comes to _Eren,_ he honestly isn't fucking sure. The brat is so innocent and ignorant about all of this that there's really no telling what this means. However, Levi can't help but feel so fucking happy that he starts to grin like an actual fucking idiot. It's so out of character for him, in fact he's never smiled like this before. Eren looks utterly shocked, and is staring at Levi like he's grown a third head. 

Levi all but attacks Eren with a bone crushing hug, spinning the two of them around and laughing. "Brat, you're the fucking best!"


	21. Horror and Relief

_Levi_

Levi, still injured from saving Eren from the female Titan, is on ordered bed rest, tossing and turning in his sheets as he worries about how Eren is doing. The man he loves was sent to Utgard Castle to find Reiner and Berdtholt, while Levi was ordered to stay behind. He fucking lost his mind at that, but unless he wanted to be locked up for insubordination, he had no choice but to trust the the Scouts would take care of the chocolate haired beauty. 

The raven hasn't left his room, unable to do anything as the stifling anxiety consumes him. If the wall has really fallen, then Eren shouldn't be out there. Though Levi knows the green eyed beauty can take care of himself, it still feels entirely wrong for the man he loves to be in danger without the Captain by his side. 

It's been almost two days since they left, which is far longer than it should be taking for them to ride to Utgard and back. Levi wants more than anything to head out and see if Eren is okay, but Erwin mother fucking, god damn Smith forbid him from leaving shortly before the blonde bastard and many other Scouts left, likely to provide reinforcements for whatever is happening in Wall Rose. The Commander had made sure to leave Levi in the dark. Despite being a stickler for following the rules, Levi just wants to completely ignore the blonde piece-o-shit. However, Eren had made sure to tell the raven to stay and allow himself to recover. That's the only real reason why Levi hasn't rushed to where ever Eren is. 

So as Levi lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind wanders to dark places. His leg is aching, and though he's been trying to ignore it, when he's alone, it's been killing him. He wishes he had some of Eren's magical tea right about now. The other day when they were in the garden and had their first kiss, Levi was impressed that he wasn't limping. He's been trying to hide the severity of his injury from Eren. 

Levi replays that kiss over and over again in his head in an attempt to chase away the nightmarish worries that are plaguing him. He recalls the feel of those rose petal lips against his. As always, Eren was warm, but his lips were hotter than Levi thought they would be. They trembled slightly when he kissed them. They were a bit damp, as if Eren had recently licked them. 

When they kissed, strands of Eren's silky hair tickled the Captain's pale cheeks. Levi could feel the beautiful man's face get warmer in his hands as Eren blushed. The raven thinks he may have heard the pounding of the brunette's heart even over the hammering of his own. He remembers that the green eyed beauty had slightly parted his lips during the kiss, and the caress of his breath had lovingly greeted Levi. The Captain can recall a thousand minute details about that one perfect moment, and continues to replay them. 

The raven's hand dips below his belt, freeing himself of his pants before he pleasures himself to the memory. If their first kiss was that amazing, what would it be like once they took it further? What would Eren look like after they had just made out? What expression would he make when Levi made him cum with his hand for the first time? What about after he pleasures the green eyed stunner with his mouth? How would that gorgeous face contort in pleasure when Levi first thrusts himself inside? 

Coming undone, the raven pants heavily, arm slung over his eyes as he wills his skin to cool down. He misses Eren, he misses him so fucking much. This bed is too big and too cold without the green eyed beauty in it with him. Levi has had to deal with a lonely bed for weeks now, ever since returning to the walls. It's horrible, and just doesn't feel right. Those times in the camp when he could sleep next to Eren were like a dream. Although, it was always a special kind of torture to hold himself back every night. 

Levi cleans himself up, about to stumble back into bed, when a commotion in the courtyard has him looking out the window. What he sees has him flying out of the room. The Scouts have returned, only far too little have come back. Far, far too little. It is clear that an extremely intense battle took place. _Is Eren okay? Has Wall Rose truly fallen?_

The raven rushes into the courtyard, and sees that beautiful head of chocolate colored hair stumbling out of a carriage, a bandage around his head and a haunted look in those gorgeous eyes. Levi runs up to him, enveloping the shifter in a powerful embrace full of relief and desperation. _Thank fucking god, he's okay. What the hell happened?_ He wonders to himself, ignoring the pain in his leg and lifting Eren up in his arms. The beautiful man doesn't even react as Levi carries him inside. 

He bursts into his room, walking them over to the bed before setting Eren down carefully. The expression on the beautiful man's face is harrowing. "Eren, what happened?" Levi demands softly, putting a hand on Eren's knee as he crouches down to eye level with the young soldier. 

"I-I--" Eren begins, tears sliding down his caramel cheeks as his expression remains empty. He's looking at Levi, but it's like he doesn't even see the raven. "We went to meet up with the other recruits from the 104th at the castle. It was under attack, and Ymir was discovered to be a Titan. She was injured from trying to protect everyone. W-we made it back to the wall, and then..." Eren breaks off, as though struggling to find the words. 

"What happened then? Has Rose fallen?" Levi prods, taking hold of one of Eren's hands. It may sound strange, but the fact that Eren _isn't_ trembling right now has Levi worried. It is like the brunette hasn't even fully realized where he is, or that the raven is here with him. 

"N-no, there's no hole." The green eyed beauty responds unsteadily, and confusion mixed with no small amount of unease bubbles up inside of Levi. _What does that mean? How are there Titans inside the wall if it's still intact?_ The Captain wonders to himself. 

"What happened after you made it back up the wall, Eren?" Levi questions, needing Eren to continue. It's clear that something else occurred that has the brunette so shaken. 

"R-Reiner, and Berdtholt... I thought they were my friends, when Armin and everyone was talking about them possibly being our enemies, I didn't want to believe it. Reiner welcomed me with open arms into the Corps, more than almost anyone else. He helped teach me more about hand to hand combat, we practiced together so many times..." Eren whispers, anger entering those stunning irises. "But those two pieces of shit... I almost defeated Reiner, I almost fucking had him, but then the Colossal fell on top of us, and I woke up in the forest, and my arms were gone, and I... and I..." Eren trails off, a look of fury on his face. Levi pales. _He fought them? But that wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to try and get them back here. What the fuck happened out there?_

"Eren, you have to tell me what happened. Please." Levi grasps those delicate shoulders, willing the brunette to look at him. Those green eyes remain focused on something far away, something only he can see. 

"They revealed themselves. I had no choice but to engage in combat with the Armored Titan, but I was defeated and taken away. The Scouts had to come and rescue me in the forest of giant trees in Wall Maria's territory. So many people died... all because I got taken..." Eren weeps openly now, falling apart right before Levi's eyes. "The Titan that ate my mother... somehow it came back, after all this time... it ate someone Mikasa and Armin were very close to, and I couldn't transform, I couldn't save him... but that piece of shit, that fucking piece of trash got what it deserved. I don't know how, and I don't understand why, but it did. I watched it get ripped apart." Eren says viciously, an endless sea of hatred in those mesmerizing eyes that makes Levi shiver. 

Horror floods Levi's system as he absorbs all Eren has told him. Erwin, that fucking _bastard,_ he knew that Eren was taken! And he didn't tell Levi. While Levi has been here, moping about, Eren was fighting for his life. How many people didn't make it back? How much lower would that number have been if Levi was there to help? If Levi was there, Eren wouldn't have been taking in the fucking first place. He never would've allowed that to happen. Who knows what new kind of trauma has been thrust onto the green eyed beauty now? If Levi was there to protect him, none of that would have fucking _happened_. 

Levi hugs Eren tightly, laying them both down on the bed as the brunette cries into his chest. He hates this, he despises it with every fucking fiber of his being. Eren doesn't deserve this, this sadness and guilt. He's so innocent, so pure, so selfless and full of life despite looking so empty. It's not true, Eren isn't empty, he's bursting with compassion and drive and purpose. 

Hours pass just like that, with Levi holding Eren silently while the brunette cries. Pale hands run through those chocolate tresses as the raven does all he can just to offer some amount of comfort. He's never been good with words, so he doesn't try to say anything. But he knows that Eren understands just through this. 

Eventually, Eren sits up, wiping his lovely face with his hands and gratefully accepting the glass of water that Levi hands him. Levi wonders for a moment how it possible for someone to still be so pretty after crying for hours. Eren's eyes are slightly puffy and red, and his nose is swollen, but he's still so fucking gorgeous that it hurts to look at him. "Thank you, Levi. I'm truly not sure what I would do if you weren't here. I'm really fortunate to have met you. I think the forest led you to me that day, for some reason." The brunette admits, smiling slightly at a taken aback Levi. The raven's heart swells to the point of bursting at Eren's words. 

"I'm the lucky one here, you shitty brat." Levi mutters and scratches the back of his neck, unsure of what to say to something so heartfelt. He wishes he was better at verbal communication, because he wants to describe to Eren all the ways he has made Levi's life the happiest it's ever been. 

"What do you mean? Why would you be lucky?" Eren asks with such a genuine confusion that it makes Levi's chest hurt. Does the green eyed beauty really not realize all he has done and continues to do for Levi? 

"You make me fucking happy, I guess. I don't fucking know, I'm not good at this kind of thing. You saved my life and I like having you around. I've said it before, but I don't feel right when you're not close to me. So, I'm lucky." Levi grumbles, his cheeks overly warm. He finds that he can't meet Eren's eyes at the moment. A moment of silence passes between them that makes Levi nervous that he may have said too much.

"Hey, Levi, would it be okay if I kiss you?" Eren shocks Levi by saying suddenly. The raven freezes and his silver eyes fix on green ones. The man he loves is blushing brightly, looking surprised that he just said that. "I-I mean, wait, never mind, I don't know what I'm saying, I'm going to go get ready for bed--" 

Levi doesn't let Eren continue, because he silences him with a heated kiss. The green eyed beauty gasps against his lips, and the raven groans. Heat floods into Levi, and he feels like he's on fire. He feels light, powerful, like he could do absolutely anything, accomplish everything if Eren is at his side. 

Eren is hesitant at first, shy, but eventually instinct kicks in and he kisses Levi back gently. The fucking brat is a natural, quickly making the raven groan in pleasure at the feel of those perfect lips caressing his with an innate skillfulness that has him wondering once more how Eren can be good at literally everything. 

Those elegant hands thread themselves in Levi's inky hair in the most incredible way. The raven's body is singing as he grips Eren's hips and brings that sinful body flush against him. The brunette's heat is burning him in the most addictive manner, and that wild scent seems to somehow grow stronger, driving him crazy. Eren is in his lap, those mouthwatering thighs pressing into Levi and that perfect ass is right on top of his absolutely raging hard on. He's never been this hard in his entire fucking life. Every nerve is on fire with a type of arousal that boggles his mind. 

Levi licks Eren's lip, requesting entry, and somehow the breathtaking man understands, because he opens his mouth. The Captain wastes no time, desperate to finally taste the man he loves. Instantly, an explosion of ecstasy has him moaning as the flavor of Eren's mouth hits him. He tastes like berries, sunshine, heaven with a large amount of hell, and the slightest hint of blood. It's fucking indescribable, better than Levi could've ever imagined, beyond addictive. The inside of Eren's mouth is fucking scorching, intoxicating him as he hungrily seeks out more, more, more. But it's never enough. 

Eren caresses Levi's tongue with his own almost masterfully. The Captain has no fucking idea how he does it, but he can't get enough of this. Levi is devouring Eren, quickly losing control as he pulls Eren's shirt out of the pants of his uniform and desperately seeks out the feel of the caramel skin he has dreamed so much about. As his hands finally feel the touch of Eren's skin, he groans in utter fucking euphoria. It's so fucking soft and warm and silky. He runs his palms up Eren's back, and the brunette shivers. 

The green eyed beauty licks Levi's bottom lip, and the raven growls ravenously as he roughly grasps Eren's waist under his shirt, earning a soft moan from the brunette that makes Levi go fucking wild. He slams Eren down, pinning the shifter underneath him as he continues ravishing those utterly flawless lips. His hands go underneath Eren's shirt again and he slides them up that deliciously defined torso. The raven has never had the pleasure of seeing the brunette without a shirt, but he can feel the smooth planes of taut muscle and it's making him out of control with need. 

As his palms glide over Eren's abs, the love of Levi's life shivers and moans again. The raven growls and grinds his hips into Eren, eliciting a sharp gasp from the brunette who trembles again, those caramel fingers tightening their hold on Levi's hair in the most sensual way. The silver eyed man can feel Eren's arousal pressing against his own erection and it makes it fucking hard to breathe. Knowing that Eren is turned on is doing strange things to his mind. 

_I want him, I want him so fucking badly that it's killing me. I want to rip those fucking clothes off and lick every inch of that perfect skin. I want to fuck him until he's a complete mess._ Levi thinks desperately, the desire suffocating him. He knows that if he doesn't stop soon, he's going to lose control. He wants nothing more than to finally make Eren his, but knows that Eren isn't ready for that. 

So, Levi devours Eren for another long moment, before painfully pulling himself away. It physically _hurts_ to stop, to separate himself from those delicious lips. He needs them like he needs air. He gazes down at Eren, panting from the effort it took to hold himself back. He almost loses it entirely when he drinks in the sensual expression on the brunette's lovely face. Eren is breathing heavily while blushing, those full lips wet and bruised, his stunning eyes hooded and dreamy looking. Those lovely chocolate tresses are mused and falling into his eyes. His shirt is riding up, revealing a tease of that taut stomach. Levi has never seen so much of that amber skin before and it makes it very difficult to breathe. The stunning man smiles softly up at Levi. 

"Thank you." Eren breathes, and Levi's heart does back flips in his chest. _How in the fucking world is he so god damn sexy?_ Levi wonders in awe, pressing another, almost chaste kiss to those lips before lying down next to the brunette and gathering him up in his arms. 

"I should be the one thanking you. Where the hell did you learn to kiss so well, you shitty brat?" Levi mutters affectionately as Eren wraps his arms around the soldier. Those delicate shoulders shrug. 

"I just tried to emulate what you were doing." Eren replies, sounding sleepy. Levi smirks and kisses the top of the other man's head. 

"Get some sleep, brat." The raven murmurs, but judging from the sound of Eren's breathing, he's already drifted off. Levi lies there, feeling incredibly full and absolutely overjoyed. Words cannot properly describe how otherworldly and exquisite that was. Just by kissing Eren, he felt the most pleasure he's ever experienced in his life. Levi is almost ashamed to say that he came twice, just from that. It's absolutely fucking insane what Eren does to him. It's unlike anything in this fucking world. 

Levi curls his body possessively around Eren, feeling a dark sort of craving inside. Eren is his, he will _never_ fucking let go of him. The raven will never get enough of the brunette, will never be able to part from him. It's impossible. There is no life without Eren for Levi, and he'll do fucking _anything_ to make sure the green eyed beauty in his bed never leaves him.


	22. Realization

_Eren_

Eren lies on the grassy ground of the forest near the cottage where he and the rest of the new Levi squad have been hiding out. He is currently indulging in a rare moment of free time, and now that it is just his squad here, the rules of not being able to go off on his own are more lax.

The eighteen year old has his arms tucked behind his head as he gazes up at the tree leaves and hums the tune his mother used to sing. Smatterings of sunlight dapple the forest floor with golden diamonds of light that spin and shift whenever the breeze shakes the tree branches. Distant bird calls seem to come from everywhere and nowhere, getting lost within the maze-like expanse of the forest. These woods are the only interruption to the expansive field that makes up most of the landscape in this region.

Eren can hear his comrades chatting in the distance, their voices soothing him. For a moment, when Reiner and Bertholdt had taken him, he feared he would never hear that sound again. His heart twists in a familiar dance of pain and guilt at the thought of his recent kidnapping.

The brunette extends one arm, lifting his hand up to the sky and splaying his fingers as he remembers punching the Titan that ate his mother and Mr. Hannes. He recalls punching the air, and in doing so Titans had lunged towards the piece of shit that murdered his mother. He doesn't understand why or how that happened. Is there something about the Titan he inherited from his father that granted him the power to control other Titans?

Eren turns over onto his side, threading his fingers through the soft grass. The Survey Corps has come up with a plan for sealing Wall Maria that means that he needs to learn how to use the hardening ability. So far, the experiments to do so have been horrible failures. Not only that, but he's also been having difficulty with shifting. The green eyed man is unsure if it is because of some sort of mental block after the traumatic experience of being taken away, and because he was, so many of his comrades died. It makes him feel like all the agony he went through to master this ability was for nothing, because somehow it seems he is right back where he started.

A sigh escapes him. "Eren, what's wrong?" Armin's voice suddenly sounds, and Eren slowly sits up. His friend is walking into the forest, a gentle smile on his face and his arms clasped behind his back. The Titan shifter runs a hand through his hair.

"I just have a lot on my mind. I don't mean to worry you." Eren replies before flopping back down with another heavy exhale. The blonde walks over and takes a seat next to the brunette.

"Is it because of Captain Levi?" Armin asks, and Eren's brows furrow in confusion as he meets those blue eyes.

"Why would you think that?" The eighteen year old inquires, trying to seem nonchalant but he can feel a blush begin to warm his cheeks at the mention of Levi. Images of the kiss they shared a couple of weeks ago flash through his mind. Ever since then, every time Eren thinks of Levi or is around him, he gets so nervous and flustered that he can't think straight. He can't get the memory out of his mind.

He knows that the only reason why they kissed in the first place is to try and rid Eren of his fear of the Captain. He knows that they only kissed that night because the brunette just needed to feel close to someone after such a horrible experience. Eren is also aware that the only reason why Levi agreed was as a favor to Eren. But why do these truths make his chest hurt? It feels as though he wants something, something more, but he doesn't understand or know what that something is.

Eren may be completely ignorant about romance or intimacy, but even he knows that a kiss is special. His mother had told him that, and by the way everyone talks about kissing, that much is clear. That's why he was able to finally understand the implications of sex and physical intimacy when Levi explained it to him in terms of how those things compare with kissing.

Still, Eren is so confused and amazed by what those things _actually_ are like. When Levi kissed him in the garden, it was like the whole world froze for a moment. He can distinctly remember how cool and supple the raven's lips were against his. As those pale hands gently held Eren's face, it felt like little shocks were spreading through him at the contact. It felt wonderful, making a bubbly warmth dance all throughout his body. He'd never felt anything like that before.

However, the other kiss was completely different. It was unlike any sensation he's ever had. It was as though his body was on fire, and it ached for something, but Eren doesn't know what. During that kiss, it was as though the rest of the world didn't even exist anymore. There was only Levi, and him. Eren remembers how the raven's scent had enveloped him. It was a distinct aroma of leather and tea and fresh linen. He smelled clean, masculine, almost dangerous. It was like a drug to Eren, he couldn't get enough of it.

When Levi had pulled Eren into his lap, holding the brunette's body tightly against his own, a tantalizing rush had shot through Eren. It was addictive, and the firm planes of powerful muscle pressed against him was exhilarating. The green eyed man had known that Levi was strong, but feeling those powerful hands gripping his hips almost painfully was euphoric. Eren had been so confused, so overwhelmed by the sensations and emotions that were slamming through him as they kissed. He had felt something very hard pressing into him, and grew aware that Levi's body was responding to Eren. Even the Titan shifter knew that your body only reacts that way when it's feeling some sort of arousal.

Feeling Levi's tongue caress his own was strange at first, but quickly became utterly incredible. Levi had tasted like black tea, sweeter than he would've expected. It was delicious, and Eren doesn't think he's ever tasted anything better. When the raven had slid his hands under the brunette's shirt, the eighteen year old was confused and didn't quite understand what he was doing. But as soon as he felt the cold touch of Levi's hands sliding along his feverish skin, he wanted to cry because it felt so fucking good. When a moan had come out of his mouth, he was so embarrassed, as he didn't know he could make a sound like that. But Levi seemed to love it, and whenever the Captain would groan, Eren got a thrill right down to his toes and was filled with a strange satisfaction that he didn't understand.

Once Levi had slammed him on the bed, pinning Eren down with his body, the green eyed man felt a bit afraid and indescribably thrilled. All of it was so puzzling but the eighteen year old couldn't get enough. He didn't know that this sort of thing existed, that something that felt so incredible was real. As those cool palms ghosted over his abdomen, Eren thought he would die from ecstasy. He quickly realized that even the feel of slaughtering Titans was nothing compared to the sensation of Levi touching him.

When Levi had grind himself into Eren, the brunette was once again made painfully aware that the raven was aroused by him, and he didn't understand why or why that one gesture made his entire body tremble in anticipation for something. The green eyed man grew aware that he too, was hard, and had felt a rush of humiliation. He had become that way in the past but it was always for no reason at all, likely just a hormonal response that happens during puberty. He had never gotten that way because of anyone else before.

Eren had felt stifled by his clothes, he wanted them off, wanted Levi's clothes to come off, but he had no idea why. It was an instinctual desire that he was ignorant about. He remembers the feel of Levi's hair, how soft and unexpectedly fine it was. The roughness of the raven's undercut was a stark difference in texture that excited Eren. But his fingers had wanted to feel something else, had itched to learn the feel of Levi's skin underneath those clothes. When Levi had pulled away, Eren had wanted to cry. He never wanted that moment to stop.

"Eren? You're blushing." Armin interrupts Eren's recollections suddenly and the green eyed man bites his lips while running a hand through his hair.

"Um, no, why would I be thinking about Levi?" Eren finally replies to the blonde's earlier question. Armin gives the brunette a smile that shows he can see right through the other man's lies. The shifter blushes brighter.

"Because something seems different between you two. I know that you are pretty clueless about love and what not but it seems even you have begun to learn about what it is like." Armin responds, and green eyes widen in surprise.

"I do love Levi, he's my closest friend. I love you and Mikasa too." Eren argues, not understanding why Armin thinks he's ignorant about love. The only thing Eren doesn't understand is romance and sex. The blue eyed man sighs exasperatedly.

"No, Eren, I'm talking about being _in love._ It's different from how you feel about a friend. When you're in love with someone, you want to have them to yourself, feel the need to be around them all the time, and want to touch them. Your heart races around them, you want to kiss them, and you want them to want you." Armin tries to explain, and Eren's eyes grow to the size of saucers. _Your heart races around them?_ He thinks to himself, feeling his face grow unbearably warm.

"But I thought it was normal for your heart to race around some people?" Eren sits up, looking at his friend intensely as said organ begins to pound in his chest. From what he knows, being in love with someone is how a husband feels towards a wife. It's special, it's sexual, it's a romantic sentiment. Armin gives Eren a quizzical look.

"Yeah, if you're in love with that person. Or maybe if you're nervous around them. Why, does your heart beat quickly when you're with the Captain?" Armin asks pointedly, and Eren runs a hand through his hair as he struggles to absorb what his friend is telling him. _H-He's making it sound as if I'm in love with Levi!_ The brunette thinks frantically, trying to deny it. _But Levi said his heart races around me too. Is it because he's nervous around me? That must be it, it must be because I'm a shifter._ The eighteen year old reasons, and his heart hurts at the thought, but he doesn't know why.

"No, no I can't be in love with Levi. I thought he was just special to me because he was my first friend." Eren protests, pressing a palm to his chest in an attempt to calm his hammering heart. Armin sighs but gives Eren a small smile of reassurance.

"Well, let me ask you something. Depending on your answer, that's how we will know for sure whether or not you're in love with Captain Levi." Armin proposes, and the brunette nods eagerly. "If the Captain started dating someone other than you, was kissing them, loved them, was intimate with them, and eventually got married to that person, how would you feel?" The blonde asks, and Eren freezes.

Horrible images of someone else in Levi's arms, smiling at him, embracing him, waking up next to him assault Eren and one of the most terrible pains he's ever felt has him clutching his chest. Nausea climbs up his throat and he cups a hand over his mouth. The brunette is shaking is head, trying to will away the horrid thoughts. "It makes me feel sick to think about it. Is that normal?" Eren says after taking a moment to calm down. He's bewildered by his reaction. He's never felt anything like that before, has never responded to something so viscerally.

"It's normal, because it means you're in love with Captain Levi, and of course a person would feel horrible at the thought of the person they love being with someone else." Eren's friend tells him gently, looking sympathetic for a very shocked and confused Eren.

"Is there a way for me to stop it?" The brunette asks, feeling desperate. He doesn't want to be in love with his closest friend! That may ruin their friendship. What if Levi finds out, and is disgusted by Eren? What if the raven decides that he doesn't want to be around the green eyed man anymore because of it? "I don't want Levi to hate me because of it! Oh my god, Armin, this is terrible!" Eren exclaims, panicked at the thought of Levi no longer wanting to be involved with him.

The blonde grasps Eren's shoulders. "Eren! Stop freaking out, it's a completely normal thing to fall in love with someone. It isn't strange or weird. Plus, the Captain would never hate you because of that, _trust me_." Armin insists, but Eren doesn't believe him. The brunette pulls away and hurries deeper into the forest, needing to be alone while he frantically tries to think of a way to fix this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fucking finally


	23. Stopping

_Eren_

Sweat drips from Eren's chin as he chops the wood with unrestrained aggression. He takes out his tumultuous emotions on the unfortunate piece of oak. It's been three days since Armin first helped Eren realize that he's actually in love with Levi. The raven has been in town for these past few days on business, but he is set to return later today, and the anxiety that Eren is feeling because of it is suffocating him.

The brunette slams the axe down viciously, breathing heavily as he tries to think of what to do. How is he supposed to act around Levi now that he knows he's in love with the Captain? He wants to be normal, but isn't sure if he can. The threat of Levi possibly discovering the truth of Eren's feelings is terrifying to the green eyed man. What if he says something wrong? What if he does something that makes it obvious that he's in love with the raven?

Panting, Eren butchers the wood over and over again until his muscles are aching. Eventually, a concerned looking Mikasa has to drag him inside so that he can drink something, as he's been at this for hours. Begrudgingly, Eren sits at the table, sipping on the water that was forced into his hand. His stomach is clenched and aching from stress as his leg bounces nervously. His black haired friend gives him a worried look as she watches him. His other friends seem to notice his mood, as they all glance at him with concern on their faces. 

"Hey, Eren, you alright?" Connie asks, quirking a brow at the brunette. Jean snorts abrasively.

"Who cares?" Horse face scoffs, earning a kick in the shin from Mikasa that looks like it very nearly broke bone. Jean howls in pain and starts hopping around. "The fuck, Mikasa? That hurt!" The idiot exclaims at a volume that is completely unnecessary.

"Oi, what the fuck is with all the yelling?" An all too familiar deep voice that makes Eren's heart jump into his throat suddenly interrupts. Green eyes dart to the front door, watching as Levi and Hanji walk into the cottage with arms full of paper bags that likely hold groceries. Eren gulps and wills his rapidly heating cheeks to cool down. That silver gaze immediately falls on Eren, who sinks lower into his seat in an attempt to hide.

"Jean was being an asshole again, Sir." Connie explains, making Jean's eyes widen in disbelief as he scowls angrily. The rest of them nod in agreement while Eren just wishes he could disappear. Levi scoffs and sets the groceries down, his eyes never leaving the brunette.

"What's wrong with you, brat?" The Captain asks Eren, who literally jumps. The eighteen year old quickly stands and sets his glass down loudly.

"I'm going to go take a dip in the lake to cool off. Do you guys want to come?" He finds himself blurting out, instantly blushing in mortification. His friends grin at his words, nodding eagerly and chatting to one another in excitement. "A-alright! Let's go! Good to see you, Sir, Hanji." He stammers before all but running out of the cottage, his friends hot on his tail. He shakes his head at himself in humiliation. _I called him "Sir"! Now he definitely knows that something is up!_

The group of youngsters reach the lake soon, as it is tucked in the woods that stand very close to the cottage. Everyone is excited, laughing happily and removing their clothes. The men take off their shirts and pants, left only in the shorts that serve as their undergarments, while the girls are left in their shifts. Eren disrobes a little bit more slowly, not as enthusiastic as the rest of them. Really, he's just considering drowning himself at this point.

* * *

_Levi_

The raven stomps towards the forest, fuming. _What the hell was that? That shitty brat called me "Sir". I'm going to wring his neck until he tells me why he's acting so fucking weird._ Levi thinks to himself. Eren had nearly jumped out of his skin when the Captain had spoken to him. What he hell happened while he was away?

Levi reaches the lake, but stops dead in his tracks. Silver eyes nearly jump out of his skull as he watches Eren slip his shirt over his head. Immediately, his breath is stolen as he gets a look at that fucking perfect body for the first time. Eren is ripped, with lithe muscles that ripple with every movement. That golden skin seems to glow, and is slightly damp from perspiration. He's shaped like some kind of god, but is still delicate. Levi almost starts drooling as his eyes hungrily study every inch of exposed amber skin.

The raven nearly falls to his knees as Eren slides his pants off, revealing those mouthwatering long legs. The brunette is _painfully_ sexy. Levi wants to moan as he watches the green eyed masterpiece stretch. Those muscles are pulled taut and are practically begging to be touched. The Captain isn't the only one who seems to notice just how fucking hot Eren is, because all of the 104th soldiers are staring with wide eyes at the beautiful man. A quiet growl escapes Levi at the sight.

He's about to go over there and drag Eren away, when the brunette suddenly starts running towards the water, before canon-balling into it. Water flies everywhere, hitting all his friends, who start laughing in delight and begin splashing one another playfully. Eren resurfaces, smiling vibrantly and wading further towards the shore before standing up in the water.

Levi groans at the sight of Eren, soaking wet and hardly clothed, looking like some kind of angel. The sunlight makes the water sparkle on that caramel skin. His damp shorts hug his body like a second skin, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. The brunette slicks his soaking hair back and out of his face and brilliantly white teeth gleam as he grins at his friends.

Mikasa is staring wide eyed at Eren, blushing bright red, while even Christa, or actually Historia, seems affected by Eren's startling beauty despite likely playing for the other team. Armin is as red as a tomato while Jean's mouth is literally hanging open in shock. Sasha looks like she might faint, while Connie looks flabbergasted. 

"Holy shit Eren! You're fucking hot!" Connie exclaims, making Eren tilt his head in confusion.

"Yeah, what the hell man? That's just not fucking fair." Jean complains, clearly burning with jealousy. Connie and Armin nod in agreement.

"My eyes! My eyes feel like they're going to melt out of my head! He's just too sexy to look at!" Sasha screeches, reminding Levi all too much of Hanji as she covers her eyes with her hands and shakes her head frantically. Eren blushes brightly, glancing down at himself in bewilderment.

"You guys, I don't really understand..." Eren murmurs, looking self conscious. Mikasa splashes over to him, covering him with her body as she hugs him tightly.

"Don't look at him with your filthy eyes!" The gloomy brat growls, causing everyone to burst into raucous laughter. Levi is about ready to kill that bitch for touching Eren. The brunette is chuckling and patting her on the head.

"It's okay, Mikasa. Come on, I'll race you to the other side of the lake." Eren tries to calm her down, and she begrudgingly pulls away while nodding. Levi, unable to take it anymore, storms over to the shore. He's vibrating with anger and is so fucking turned on that he feels aggressive.

"Oi, Eren, get your ass over here." The raven growls, and everyone stiffens and stares at Levi with wide eyes. Eren flinches and begins to look panicked.

"Oh, uh, Levi, I, um... I'm really sweaty from chopping a bunch of wood so I should really stay in here and clean myself off, Sir." The brunette stammers, but Levi levels him with a glare that has him quickly coming to the shore. Everyone but Mikasa is snickering now, and the Captain gives them a scowl that promptly shuts them up.

Levi grabs Eren's wrist tightly, and begins dragging him deeper into the forest. His blood is thundering painfully through his veins as he resists pushing Eren down and fucking him until he's a complete mess. The brunette looks confused and panicky and it's pissing Levi off. What the hell happened? When he left the other day to go into town, things were fine.

Once they are far enough away, Levi whirls around and pins Eren against a tree. Silver eyes are blazing, boring into Eren's own gorgeous green ones. "Don't ever let anyone other than me see you like this." Levi growls, before slamming his lips against those fucking mouthwatering ones. Eren gasps, and the raven swallows the sound up greedily as his hands desperately seek out the feel of all of that delicious exposed skin. 

Eren threads his fingers through Levi's hair, moaning prettily as the Captain ravages his mouth. The sound is electrifying and is making the silver eyed man crazy. Pale hands slide up Eren's torso, and when they brush against that tanned chest, the brunette shivers. Levi groans and runs a thumb over one of the green eyed beauty's nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp from the shifter.

Levi lifts Eren up, wrapping those delicious legs around his waist as his palms firmly plant themselves on Eren's absolutely fucking perfect ass. The wet material is thin and leaves little to the imagination. The raven is going fucking insane with need, just barely able to keep from thrusting himself inside the shivering beauty in his arms.

Eren's hands shyly move to Levi's back, gingerly gliding down it, exploring. The Captain moans at the feel of Eren's hands on his body. He can't even fucking begin to describe how delicious it feels to be touched by the man he loves. He recalls the way everyone was staring at Eren at the lake then, and feels predatory. _No, I won't let anyone else look at you. You're fucking mine._ Levi thinks to himself, moving down to administer a punishing bite to Eren's neck. Eren moans sharply, grinding his ass into Levi's erection subconsciously.

Levi cums right then and there, his breath knocked out of him by the lightening bolt of pleasure Eren just gave him. _H-Holy shit..._ The raven grips Eren's ass tighter, feeling how supple it is and groaning. He can't even fucking imagine how good it will feel to pound into it. _I want him, I want him so fucking badly that I'm going mad._

The raven bites down again, licking the spot gently afterwards, and Eren trembles, his body slightly jerking in response. Silver eyes glance at that gorgeous face, and a dizzying thrill goes through him as he basks in Eren's expression of pleasure. Those rosebud lips are tightly clasped in between the brunette's teeth, so hard that blood is beginning to bead. A scorching blush is splashed across his cheeks, his wet hair hanging in his tightly closed eyes. _He's so fucking perfect._ Levi thinks with a feral grin, kissing those lips once more to free them from Eren's punishing bite.

The raven can taste the blood on Eren's lips and it's exhilarating. The caramel skinned beauty is burning up, his warmth invading Levi down to his core. The Captain is in ecstasy, intoxicated by Eren's wicked taste and the feel of that tight body pressing against him. There's so little in the way of finally getting what he's been aching for. All he needs to do is rip those flimsy little shorts away... "Eren, fuck, you're making me crazy." The Captain groans against those sinful lips.

At that, Eren pulls away, blushing deeply and looking upset. Levi growls and moves to kiss him again, not tolerating any interruptions, but Eren pushes gently on the Captain's chest. Confused and aching with want, the raven gently sets him down on his feet and steps back slightly, panting. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ He thinks, scrubbing a hand over his face to try and regain control of himself. His dick is literally throbbing with longing and Eren looks so fucking sexy blushing and almost naked like that.

"Hey, Levi. We should stop with these sessions. It's not necessary anymore, and I'm sorry for making you have to do this for so long." Eren says softly, his voice trembling. Levi's eyes narrow dangerously. _Stop? What does he mean stop? I cannot stop, and I will not._ "I'm not afraid of you anymore, and it isn't fair to you to make you do this sort of thing with me. So, let's stop now." Eren is looking down, and Levi can't see his face.

The raven is furious. What the fuck is Eren talking about? Does he still really not see how much Levi fucking loves him? How much he aches for Eren, craves him with every cell in his body? Eren moves to walk away, but Levi grips his wrist tightly. He's about to give the brunette a fucking piece of his mind, but when Eren turns his head to meet Levi's gaze, the raven freezes. Tears are flowing from those brilliant emerald eyes. The Captain lets go as if Eren had burned him. His body won't move, and words won't come out as he watches in shock as Eren hurries away, disappearing into the trees.


	24. Help Me Forget

_Third Person_

The brunette's friends had described what unrequited love felt like, mostly when they had been lamenting about their own one sided feelings towards someone while Eren had been spending time with them. He's heard that it's painful, that it drives one a little bit mad. However, none of what he has been told about it can accurately describe the actual feeling. 

As Eren rests in the clearing, his evaporating Titan body hissing as it disappears after yet another failed attempt at hardening, he struggles to keep his inner turmoil from showing on his face. It has been a week since Eren had called off the "sessions" he had been sharing with Levi. During that time, the green eyed man had returned to his pattern of avoiding the raven like the plague. However, this time, the Captain hasn't tried to confront Eren at all. Instead, the silver eyed man has been keeping a generous distance between them that makes the eighteen year old's heart ache brutally. 

The shifter struggles to keep his eyes on his hands instead of on the object of his affections. Levi is conversing with Hanji atop the cliff that flanks the clearing. Everyone stands up there for the most part whenever Eren transforms, to get a better view. Now that he's returned to his normal state, his friends have joined him in the grassy field, while the higher ranking officers remain atop the embankment. 

His comrades try to pull the brunette into the conversation, having taken notice of his recent sombre mood, but Eren can't bring himself to pay attention. Every nerve is attuned to the faint sound of Levi's distant voice floating over to him. That deep, rumbling timbre that the green eyed man loves so much has become torturous. It is as though with every word the Captain speaks, it reminds Eren that he has ruined things between the two of them. If only he hadn't fallen in love with his closest companion, then none of this would be happening. But he did, and what was once his most cherished relationship has now been sullied. 

"Everyone! You can return to the cottage first, we're going to be talking here for a while longer!" Hanji shouts to the young soldiers, waving her arm animatedly and cupping a hand over her mouth to project her voice further. Everyone salutes, even Eren now, before slowly making their way back to their base. The green eyed man straggles behind the group, kicking his feet into the ground and sending bits of grass sailing as he walks. His gaze is directed down as he hangs his head, feeling incredibly miserable. 

It's bad enough that Eren had to catch feelings for Levi, but the fact that he believes those sentiments are one sided on his part hurts all the more. There are plenty of people that hold a torch for the attractive and mysterious Captain, so it makes complete sense to the brunette that the raven must already have someone that he loves. And that someone isn't Eren. The shifter knows that he doesn't deserve to stand next to humanity's hero as a partner. There are many others who would perfectly fit that role, he thinks. So, in an attempt to rid himself of his unwanted feelings, Eren must stay away from Levi for now. 

"Hey guys, you go in first, I've got something to do." Jean says to their friends, but Eren isn't paying attention. He has lagged quite far behind at this point, still a few meters away from the cottage by the time his friend's enter it. The brunette is so preoccupied by watching his feet that he doesn't even notice that Jean stands in front of him until he bumps into the soldier's chest. Eren frowns slightly, stepping back and looking up at Jean with a tired expression. He doesn't have the energy to get into one of their many arguments right now. However, the taller male surprises him by simply saying, "Hey, follow me. We need to talk." 

Wanting to avoid expending energy uselessly on a fight, Eren wordlessly follows Jean as he walks towards the forest for some privacy. They don't venture deep into the woods, stopping just within the treeline. The tawny haired man turns to face Eren with his arms crossed. The brunette looks up at him blankly, hoping this will be over soon so he can go lie down and try to escape his worries through sleep. "Alright, what the fuck is wrong with you lately? There's been a dark cloud over your head all damn week, Eren." Jean questions impatiently. 

Eren sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know what you mean. I've just been tired from all the experiments." The brunette avoids the question, simply wanting this to be done with already. Horse face scoffs derisively. 

"Yeah, right. Fess up already, I'm tired of seeing your moping face. What's wrong?" Jean finishes a bit more gently, surprising Eren. The green eyed man regards Jean for a moment, evaluating whether or not he is willing to confide in his comrade. Finally, he decides that he really doesn't have anything to lose by telling the soldier, seeing as how he doubts Jean would ever tell other people about this. Horse face may be a lot of things, but he isn't a blabber mouth. 

"I've fallen in love with Levi, but I don't want to be. I'm afraid of ruining our friendship, so I've been avoiding him until my feelings go away." Eren answers flatly, keeping it short. However, instead of looking surprised, Jean just looks exasperated. 

"That's it? Eren, we've all known that you're in love with Captain Levi since we first met you. You always talk about him and you light up stupidly whenever the Captain is around. You really only just figured that out?" Jean replies, and Eren blushes in humiliation. Was it really so obvious? If that's the case then... did Levi notice as well? A jolt of horror shoots through him at the idea. 

"Do you think that he also knows?" Eren asks quietly, desperation clear on his face. Jean sighs and scratches his head tiredly. 

"No, I don't think so. But seriously, Eren, it really wouldn't be a bad thing if he did. In fact I think it would be a really good thing for him to know how you feel." The tawny haired man tries to explain, but the brunette vehemently shakes his head, his heart racing in fear at the idea. 

"No! He can't know. I just need to get rid of these feelings as soon as possible so that everything can go back to the way it was." Eren insists, tearing up despite himself as his anxiety builds. He's desperate to finally return to normal. He'd do anything to make sure that he can always stay by Levi's side, and is sure that it would be impossible with him feeling the way he does now. If the raven ever learned the truth, Eren is certain that their friendship would end. The silver eyed man likely doesn't tolerate any crushes, especially if he already has someone, like Eren assumes. 

"They're not just going to go away by avoiding him. The easiest way to move on from someone is to find someone new. God, how innocent are you?" Jean gripes, looking extremely irritated. Eren pales upon hearing that. He truly thought that if he stayed away from Levi for long enough, these feelings of love would fade away. 

"Who would I find? There isn't anyone else that I like." Eren asks frantically, gripping onto the front of Jean's shirt pleadingly. The tawny haired man looks taken aback by this, staring at the brunette with wide, surprised eyes. 

"I don't know! That's not any of my business! Why not choose Armin or Mikasa or something?" The soldier grumbles, blushing at Eren's close proximity. Though Jean may not fancy the green eyed man, he isn't immune to the brunette's alluring appearance. 

"No, I can't choose anyone from the Levi squad, I don't want to hurt our friendship." Eren pauses, eyes widening slightly as he seems to get an idea. "But you, you and I aren't really friends. I don't need to worry about ruining our relationship because there isn't one. Jean, please! Make me fall in love with you!" The beautiful brunette pleads, gazing up at his comrade with big, imploring eyes. Jean's face flushes with heat at Eren's words. 

"The fuck! No, no way! Find someone else!" The tawny haired man rejects the idea, his heart racing. Though he finds Eren extremely annoying and pretentious, even he can't deny how tempting the shifter is. The soldier doesn't know of anyone that would be able to resist him. 

Eren tightens his grip on Jean's shirt and stands closer, desperate to get the other man to agree and not even realizing how suggestive his actions are. "Please, I will do anything. You have to help me, just make me fall in love with you. After I have, you can properly reject me and won't have to deal with me at all outside of our duties. I will stay away from you, I swear. I'll even stop calling you 'horse face'." Eren begs, completely genuine. Jean falters, finding it extremely difficult to refuse when such a beautiful person is pleading with him like this. 

The tawny haired man takes a moment to think. He starts to realize that this may not be such a bad thing. The opportunity to hook up with someone so attractive is not something one gets offered every day. Yeah, Eren pisses him off, but he'd be lying through his teeth if said he didn't want Eren. Who wouldn't desire the green eyed man? Plus, if Eren falls in love with him, it will be the ultimate victory in their never ending feud. Not to mention the added bonus of scoring with such a beautiful person. 

"Fine. I'll help you, but you have to stop calling me horse face, and let me win a few of our fights in front of the others. Deal?" Jean relents, and Eren nods eagerly, taking a step back and letting go of the tawny haired man's shirt. "But I'm gonna act how I want, okay? I don't know how to properly court you or any stupid shit like that. I'm just going to do what I think will work. If you don't like it, then tell me, but don't expect me to change my personality to woo you or whatever." The solider adds, and Eren readily agrees. 

"Okay! I'm fine with almost anything. If it means Levi and I can go back to being friends like we always have, then I'm prepared for whatever." The brunette says, and Jean sighs heavily. The soldier wonders if maybe he has just agreed to something he shouldn't have, but one look at Eren's body and he decides that he made a damn good decision. When will he ever get another chance like this? 

"I'm only interested in this for the sex, and to finally win against you in something. I'm not going to lie to you about what I'm after in this arrangement." Jean deadpans, not wanting to be a dick and pretend as though he just wants to help Eren when that isn't the case. It's best to be upfront about his motives. 

Eren looks startled by this admission, his eyes widening and his face becoming blushed. "S-Sex?" The brunette all but squeaks. Jean nods, scratching his head again. 

"Yeah. Sexual stuff is the best way to get someone to fall in love with you, at least that's what I think. And you're seriously sexy, so of course I'd want to sleep with you, even if I want to punch you in your stupidly pretty face most of the time." The solider explains, and Eren looks bewildered. 

"So, you want to have sex with me even though you hate me? Does that even happen?" Eren questions, and Jean shrugs noncommittally. 

"I don't hate you, you just annoy me. I'd probably even be into you if you didn't piss me off so much, you're a lovable guy, which also happens to be one of the most irritating things about you. Anyway, if you're uncomfortable with any of that, we should just stop it here. I'm not out to hurt you or take advantage of you or some shit." The tawny haired man says, sure that Eren will back out now. He can't say he's not disappointed, but he _doesn't_ want to be an asshole more than he _wants_ to fuck Eren. 

The brunette thinks for a moment, looking conflicted. However, he completely surprises Jean by nodding. "Let's still do this. If it's so that I can be close to Levi again, I'm willing to do anything, even have sex with you." Eren says, and Jean can't help but grin and get pretty turned on. The green eyed man holds out his hand, and the two shake on their new deal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! But don't worry, there won't be any actual Jean/Eren, it's really just only to further progress Levi and Eren's relationship by introducing some third party conflict. Bear with it, it will be worth it I promise! Just let the future promise of jealous and possessive Levi carry you through the difficult times ahead lol. also, the "Third Person" at the top of the work is telling you what perspective it's being told in, just like whenever I put "Eren" or "Levi" at the top.


	25. Strangeness

_Third Person_

Everyone has noticed how strange things have become within Squad Levi. Eren and Jean, whose only interactions have ever been arguments, have been attached at the hip lately. The two of them sit next to each other at meals, spend their breaks together, and have most shockingly, stopped bickering all together. They say "Good morning" and "Good night" to one another, ask each other about the other's day, and engage in casual conversations frequently. Everyone is completely baffled.

The rest of the 104th Scouts have taken to coming up with elaborate explanations to try and make sense out of this startling new development. When either Jean or Eren are asked about this situation, they simply say that they have started to get along better. Because of the lack of answers from the two in question, the youngsters have dreamed up quite silly theories. Sasha believes that they both ate bad food and that it messed with their heads. Connie thinks that during one of their many fights, they both hit their heads too hard and have some sort of permanent damage. Armin has stated that his opinion is that the two have struck up some unlikely alliance, while Mikasa is too enraged about Jean getting close to Eren to care.The higher ranking officers have even noticed the strange development. Hanji thinks that Jean has finally succumbed to Eren's charms, while the rest of them tend to agree. As for Levi, well...

Eren is finally afforded a break after a particularly difficult experiment. As has become normal over the past couple of weeks, Jean joins him on his typical walk into the forest. The two often spend this time together, better getting to know one another and just being in the other's company. Eren will admit that once you get used to Jean, he becomes much less annoying. However, if either of them are falling in love, it would have to be Jean.

Jean was always too jealous and irritated with Eren to really notice how freakishly perfect the brunette is, but over these past couple of weeks, the soldier is startled by how attractive Eren is both inside and out. In fact, the more time he spends with the shifter, the more drawn to him the tawny haired man becomes. Eventually, their times together become the highlight of his day, and what was once just casual physical attraction quickly evolves into much more.

Nervous, Jean joins Eren as the brunette takes a seat at the edge of the lake. Eren however, is cool as a cucumber around Jean. The green eyed man is beginning to grow frustrated. No matter how much time he spends with his comrade, his heart just refuses to race around the tawny haired man. The shifter doesn't get excited around the other man, and feels nothing at all towards Jean like he does towards Levi. He certainly likes Jean more now, even considers him a friend, but that's the extent of it. The brunette is becoming impatient.

"I think that we should kiss. I want to hurry up and fall in love with you, and just talking isn't working quickly enough." Eren blurts out, turning to look at Jean with a serious expression on his beautiful face. The soldier grows increasingly flustered and nervous, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he tries to summon a response.

"W-W-What? A-Are you sure?" Jean stutters awkwardly, his heart racing and his face as red as an apple. That reaction is a far cry from Levi's understated seductiveness, but Eren tries to ignore that, moving so that he's kneeling and properly facing the bumbling soldier.

The brunette leans forward, catching the trembling and overly thin lips of Jean. The tawny haired man is hesitant at first, clearly shocked, but eventually he responds with far too much enthusiasm. Teeth clank against teeth as Jean clumsily and frantically kisses Eren, if you can even call such a horrid thing a kiss. The green eyed man, despite his natural skill, is unable to salvage it, as it is truly just a mess of tongue and teeth, and not in the pleasant way.

Jean's hands are awkwardly pawing at Eren's body with a boyish and unskillful enthusiasm that doesn't serve to inspire any sort of excitement within Eren whatsoever. It is a night and day difference to his kiss with Levi. That was pure heat and desire and passion. This is uncomfortable, unsavory, and just unpleasant. Jean however, is up in the clouds, this moment feeling like the best he's ever had.

Unable to take anymore, Eren pulls away, breathing heavily (mostly because Jean wouldn't let him take a breath), and feeling extremely gross. Jean is red all the way to his ears and panting in a way that reminds Eren of a dog. "W-Woah." The solider stammers, looking stupidly dazed. The brunette tries to muster a smile.

"I think that's good for now. Thanks." Eren manages to say, not wanting to hurt Jean's feelings but his disappointment is gripping him powerfully. This isn't at all what he wanted. He was hoping that this would be completely wonderful and pleasurable enough to extradite Levi from his heart. However, the opposite has happened, because now he feels more sure than ever that Levi is the one for him.

"Y-Yeah, whatever you want, Eren! Anything at all!" Jean exclaims, gripping the brunette's caramel hands in his hands tightly as the tawny haired man beams at him, completely whipped. The words make Eren smile slightly, because Jean really is quite a nice guy once you get to know him. Maybe this was just a bad start, a one off thing. Surely, the next time will be better, and he'll be able to put his feelings for Levi behind him.

However, ten more brief kisses are shared between them over the next week, and Eren is at this point, ready to succumb to his despair. Each time is just as unpleasant as the last, to the point where the green eyed man has been unable to bear anything more than a make-out session that is as short as possible. Now, Eren can think of nothing worse than going even further with Jean.

Wasn't this supposed to make Eren fall in love with Jean? Instead, all that has been accomplished is that the brunette is absolutely positive that he feels no attraction towards his friend whatsoever. While it's true that he does enjoy Jean's company now and finds their moments together pleasant, anything more than that is insufferable. Eren feels ready to give up. Not only is his plan not working, but the distance between him and Levi seems to be growing by the day.

It's been a week since they even spoke to one another. Worst of all, Levi seems completely fine. It is as though the raven never gave a damn about Eren in the first place, and it's killing the brunette. He wants more than anything to finally be rid of his love for the Captain so that they can just interact again. It's like they don't even know each other anymore.

With these thoughts heavy on his mind, Eren walks with Jean to the woods, as their little ritual dictates. Jean is skipping with excitement, grinning from ear to ear, while the brunette's face is an emotionless mask that conceals his dread. Every part of him is against the idea of having to kiss Jean again. However, he's desperate at this point. He really is willing to do absolutely anything to be able to finally move on from Levi.

Feeling resolute, Eren doesn't wait to walk too far into the forest. He pushes Jean against a tree, kissing him quickly and swallowing his disgust. Jean is more than willing, and again is tactlessly going at Eren's lips. They kiss for far longer than they typically do, and eventually the soldier pulls away, confused as to why Eren hasn't stopped things yet.

"E-Eren, this is more intense t-than usual. Is that o-okay?" Jean stutters, awkward and breathing far too heavily than he really should be. The tawny haired man is a deep shade of scarlet and is shaking like a new born foal. Eren swallows the heavy sigh of regret that wants to escape him, and conjures up a smile.

"Yes, just... don't stop." The brunette responds, and Jean wastes no time in arguing, as he is once again all over Eren. The soldier pushes the green eyed man to the ground clumsily, before all but tripping in his attempt clamber on top of Eren. The shifter tries to keep from grimacing as he feels Jean awkwardly begin to unbutton his shirt. _Just bear with it. Just bear with it._ The brunette chants to himself, immediately hating the feel of Jean's rough hands against his sensitive skin. The touches just make him feel cold inside, instead of the all consuming heat that Levi's caresses conjured within him.

His shirt is all but off as Jean continues to slobber on Eren's lips. The brunette hates this with every fiber of his being, but keeps going, pushing himself. One's first time is apparently very important and special, so Eren is _sure_ that if he gives it to Jean, he will definitely fall in love with the soldier. It has to work, the green eyed man is out of options at this point.

"E-E-Eren, you're so fine..." Jean says far too loudly, making Eren cringe. The cool air against his exposed torso is unpleasant, and there are a number of sticks digging into his back. He just wants Jean to hurry up and get this over with. The brunette doesn't want to waste time with sweet talk. So, he leans upwards and silences the soldier with a kiss.

Jean is about to completely take of Eren's shirt, when all of a sudden the weight of the soldier's body is lifted from the brunette. Confused, the eighteen year old opens his eyes, only to see absolutely nothing at all. A loud noise to the left makes his head whip in that direction. A several audible _cracks_ and moans of pain make Eren quickly sit up. His heart is pounding in anxiety. Where did Jean go? Did he get cold feet? Did he trip and hurt himself?

Eren is about to get up to go find his friend after a long moment of waiting, when he's suddenly slammed down from behind painfully. The brunette winces, eyes clenching shut instinctively before quickly opening to get a look at whoever shoved him down. Ocean eyes widen in disbelief as he sees an absolutely enraged Levi leaning over him, looking vengeful.

* * *

_Levi_

The weeks pass for Levi in a haze of agony. The image of Eren crying after their kiss is burned into his mind, refusing to leave. The raven is certain that he took things too far, lost too much control and pushed Eren away with his intense lusts. Of course Eren was scared and upset, Levi was ravaging him viciously that day. What had he been thinking, taking things to that extreme? 

So, when Eren chooses to stay away from the raven, Levi doesn't pursue him. He doesn't deserve to. Self hatred has swallowed him up mercilessly, convincing him that he doesn't deserve to even be in Eren's presence after taking advantage of the green eyed beauty the way he did. He is unable to forgive himself, unable to move past it.

But that doesn't mean that Levi isn't still hopelessly in love with Eren. Each day the overwhelming feelings of longing and desire escalate until it is maddening. The raven wants Eren so fucking badly that he feels he has gone insane. His eyes are glued to the brunette each moment he can, but has had to force himself to stop following the beautiful man around. Though having the man he loves out of his sight for more than a second is torture, Levi knows that he must keep his distance.

So, he takes solace in the brief moments their eyes meet, though that isn't often, because Eren refuses to look at him anymore. He hangs on to the times when the chocolate haired beauty walks by him, leaving behind a trail of that intoxicating scent for Levi to relish in. Those times during training, when Eren uses the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, revealing his delicious abdomen, keep Levi awake at night, desperately touching himself to try and trick his body into thinking that it is Eren he is currently receiving pleasure from.

Levi has learned every single expression that Eren makes, aside from the more intimate ones, during his intense, pining observation of the stunning shifter. One glance at that gorgeous face or his body language, and the raven instantly knows how Eren is feeling. Though it seems that lately, the brunette is depressed. Levi longs to ask why, to find the root of the green eyed beauty's worries and snuff it out of existence. The Captain assumes that it is because the experiments have been utter failures, but he can't be sure. He wants to be sure, to know everything about Eren, even down to how many breaths the chocolate haired beauty takes each day. No detail is too small, too insignificant to Levi and his out of control obsession with Eren.

The Captain has noticed that his beloved and Kirstein have grown quite close recently. This development disturbs him, as the two used to be intense rivals. Now however, you would be hard pressed to see one without the other. Levi has even come to realize that Eren is spending more time with that fucking horse than he is with coconut head or that gloomy brat.

Levi feels crazy, his mind consumed with questions. _Why? What is their relationship? What happened that made them grow closer? Does Jean feel attracted to Eren? What are they doing? Where do they go?_ The most agonizing question is, _Does Eren have feelings for that fucking horse?_

So, one day Levi cannot take it anymore. He has resolved to completely stop following Eren, but the obsessive thoughts plaguing his mind are a torture that he can no longer endure. The raven has to know, has to put these desperate and maddening worries to rest. So when Eren's break rolls around, and that fucking horse trots to his side, Levi hangs back, quite far, to ensure that there is absolutely no possibility for the two of them to notice him as they walk off back towards the cottage.

The Captain has never seen where the two go during Eren's time off, so he is surprised to watch them stroll into the forest near their squad's abode. _Why would they need to go somewhere so secluded? Is it just because Eren loves the forest?_ Levi wonders, his eyes dark and lifeless and he chews on his lip in agitation while maintaining his large distance.

Eventually, after a couple of minutes, Levi makes it to the forest. He had been sure to take his time, but realizes that within the maze of trees, he's lost sight of the two. He entered at a different edge than Eren and Jean to further ensure that he wouldn't be spotted, but it seems that he did too well at keeping his distance, because now he's lost them.

About to howl in frantic frustration, every hair suddenly stands on end as sickening words reach his ears. "E-Eren, this is more intense t-than usual. Is that o-okay?" Panic. Mind numbing, freezing cold panic unlike anything the raven has ever felt before slams into him.

"Yes, just... don't stop." Eren's painfully beautiful voice, the voice that belongs only to Levi, says, and the Captain begins to tear through the forest, completely crazed and hunting them down. Nothing else matters, nothing else exists except the fucking all consuming _need_ to find them. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..._ A sort of insane mantra repeats in Levi's mind as he sprints in the direction of where he thinks he heard their voices. But he just _can't fucking find them!_

"E-E-Eren, you're so fine..." There, the voice is right past that tree, and Levi sprints towards the sound. He's out of his fucking mind, going completely mad. So when he rounds the trunk and his eyes fall on the scene before him, his entire fucking reality shatters.

Eren, _Levi's_ _Eren_ , is pinned underneath that fucking pig, his shirt hanging open, his lips crushed against Kirstein's as the two kiss frenziedly. Levi is fucking sure that's he's going to vomit, he feels fucking sick to his stomach. He can't even breathe, the air is just suffocating him. A pain like no other eviscerates him with a savagery that no Titan or beast could dare match.

Rage, all consuming, crazed rage possessing a unique and terrifying viciousness blacks out everything else in his mind. He demands _blood_ for this fucking sin. Levi's wrath has never been as horrifying as it is now. The raven is suddenly on top of them, wrapping his hands around that fucking rotten bastard's neck as he drags the flailing, noiselessly gagging man deeper into the forest in an instant.

Once alone, at a speed that the human eye cannot follow, Levi snaps both of those filthy legs that were straddling his beloved Eren, breaks those revolting hands that were touching the love of his life, and kicks Kirstein in the head so hard that the man is instantly unconscious, all before the fucking pig even has a chance to utter a single word.

Levi collapses into a tree as tears that he hasn't ever shed so hysterically before blind him. He's panting, choking on air as he struggles to process what he just witnessed. The normally impassive, calm, confident, and cold Captain is hyperventilating, unable to cope with the idea of Eren being in the arm's of another. _I have to kill him. If that's the only way to make Eren mine, then I have to do it. I won't allow it, I won't allow anyone else to fucking have him! So if Eren won't be mine, then I just have to make him. That's all I need to do to get rid of this gnawing craving._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeet, boys it be comin !!!


	26. Madness

_Levi_

Levi is crazed, mad with rage and jealousy as he silently stalks up behind Eren, who is sitting up and looking around. The brunette looks so fucking gorgeous, those stunning lashes fluttering as he blinks in confusion. Silver eyes go to beautiful, bruised, moist lips from saliva that isn't Levi's. He almost gags at the thought. All of that exposed amber skin makes Levi achingly hard, despite his inner emotional devastation. 

He grabs Eren's shoulders, slamming the breathtaking man down. Mesmerizing green eyes widen in surprise and a bit of fear as they fly open and get a look at Levi. The raven doesn't even want to know what sort of terrifying expression he is making right now, and he doesn't care. All he must do now is make Eren his. That lovely face that possesses a beauty that just doesn't seem human makes Levi's insides twist into knots, and it feels _so fucking good_ to feel that intense gaze on him again after so long. 

"L-Levi?" Eren breathes in shock, blushing deeply as he seems to realize that Levi had caught them. Ah, there it is, that gorgeous flush, that shy expression. The only consolation that the raven feels is that Eren wasn't blushing when he was kissing that fucking horse, but it's not enough to save Levi from this crushing fury. 

"I won't allow this." Is all that leaves the Captain's lips as he mercilessly tosses Eren over his shoulder and begins striding purposefully out of the forest. The green eyed beauty doesn't fight, doesn't really say anything at all, and it's driving Levi up the wall. He wants to know what Eren is thinking, but the breathtaking man isn't speaking. Does he know why Levi is so furious? Does he truly care so little about Levi now that he doesn't even bother to ask what the raven is doing? 

Levi has been residing in a separate cottage that stands next to the one his subordinates have been using, and once he reaches it, he kicks the door open, destroying it from the brutality of his attack. Eren's body jolts in surprise, as he can't see what's going on. With crazed but purposeful strides, Levi tears into the house, wasting no time in reaching his room and slamming the door open before shutting it with equal savagery. 

The raven throws Eren down on the bed, before swiftly removing his belt and using it to tie the gorgeous man's wrists to the bed frame. Those bewitching green eyes are wide, confused, but not afraid yet. Levi quickly retrieves the cloth from his wash basin, frenziedly wiping it against those gorgeous lips. Eren flinches back, but the silver eyed man holds him in place, thoroughly cleaning that mouth that only belongs to _him_. He makes Eren open up, wiping the inside as well to be thorough and ensure that his beloved is completely clean. 

He then cleans Eren's torso frantically, erasing any trace of that fucking horse's touch. Eren is sputtering, asking Levi what he is doing, but the startled words fall on deaf ears, and the Captain doesn't respond. He all but tears the shirt away, ripping it to shreds to further eradicate any evidence of the fucking vile creature that defiled his beautiful Eren. 

The Captain grips his hair in his hands harshly, struggling against the image that is tormenting his mind of Eren in the arms of another. "Levi? What is going on? Are you okay?" Eren asks, that lovely voice full of concern and it makes the raven want to scream until his voice is hoarse. 

Levi straddles Eren, breathing heavily and silver eyes blazing as he stares down at the beauty in his bed, the source of his torment. "What do I have to do?" The ravens whispers deceptively gently. Eren opens his mouth to speak, but the silver eyed man cuts him off. "What do I have to do to make you mine, Eren? What must I do in order to have you all to myself?" Levi growls, his hands gripping Eren's seductive hips with a bruising strength. 

"L-Levi?" Eren breathes, clearly not understanding what is happening. 

"Do I have to cut off your hands in order to make sure you don't touch anyone else? Tie you to this bed and never let you leave?" Levi begins to rant, his calm demeanor completely missing as he speaks madly, desperately. "What must I fucking do to make it so that you can look only at me? Should I take out those gorgeous eyes that have me so captivated? To make sure no one else can kiss you, to make sure no one else hears that beautiful voice, should I sew your pretty lips shut? This perfect body that drives me fucking _insane_ with want, do I have to kill it in order to have it all to myself? If I eat your heart, then will you _finally, finally, finally_ be mine alone? Tell me, Eren! _What do I have to fucking do?"_ Levi snarls, panting and crazed. 

Eren stares up at him, utterly shocked by what Levi is saying. "Levi, I--" 

"No! If you say something, I'm scared I really will fucking kill you to keep you to myself, Eren. I can't fucking take this anymore. I can't stand not being able to have you, I can't withstand the idea that you aren't mine. I love you so fucking much, I want you so fucking badly that I'm going mad." Levi cuts the chocolate haired beauty off, slamming his lips against those ones that haunt his every waking moment. 

The kiss is desperate, insane with want as he devours that perfect mouth. Levi hungrily grasps Eren's silky hair, not hard enough to hurt his beloved, while his other hand finds its way to that body that drives him so mad with lust. Eren shudders, readily reciprocating the kiss, and the confusion that causes within Levi just makes him spin even more out of control. Why isn't Eren fighting him? 

"I can't hold back anymore, I fucking can't, I need to _have_ you more than I fucking need to breathe." Levi bites into Eren's neck viciously, drawing a delicious moan from him that makes the raven grind his hips into the green eyed beauty as he growls in response to the erotic sound. The intoxicating taste of Eren's blood floods his mouth as he eagerly bites and kisses and licks more, giving every inch of that hypnotizing caramel skin attention. Levi marks Eren over and over, each one saying that the shifter is _his._

"L-Levi--" The raven silences him with a kiss, tongue hungrily tasting that sinful mouth. He rewrites that fucking horse's existence with his own, overpowering it, making sure that it is thoroughly blocked out by Levi's own presence. The breathtaking man tastes so fucking delicious that the Captain almost cannot handle it. Eren is gasping and moaning so beautifully and the sounds are doing something strange to the raven's already crazed mind, twisting it further with a type of longing that spawns only from the deepest madness. Levi doesn't understand why Eren is kissing him back, why he is pressing his hips more firmly against the silver eyed man as he grinds into the shifter. It is almost as though Eren _wants_ this, but that makes no sense. 

However, Eren's response to him only serves to propel him forward, as Levi trails kisses and nips down that lovely neck, to those pretty collarbones, and to that delicate but defined chest. A greedy tongue seeks out one of Eren's rosy nipples, making the brunette squirm with a heavenly cry. Levi groans and presses himself more harshly into the green eyed beauty, going mad with lust. 

He should have done this the first time he met Eren, should have pinned him to that bed in the cabin and made sure that he was forever branded as "Levi's". The only thing that makes the wait worth it is that Eren seems to desire this now in a way that he likely wouldn't have when they first met. But the idea that maybe someone else has claimed Eren, that someone else has tasted this body before him, is unforgivable. 

"Did that fucking man take you?" Levi growls, gazing into those green eyes with clear fury and the promise of vengeance. Eren shakes his head, blushing deeply, those swollen lips glistening beautifully. 

"No, nothing more than kissing, we weren't even together, I just... I was just..." The raven doesn't let his beloved continue, as he administers a punishing bite to one of those lovely roses on that tanned chest. Eren gasps, a mouthwatering whine leaving his lips as his hands strain at the belt. The sound and sight of that alone makes Levi cum. 

With what tiny sliver of self control he has left, he pauses, allowing Eren a moment to clearly say if he doesn't want this. But instead, the brunette bites his lips, smiling slightly at Levi, and that does it. The raven rips his clothes off, exposing his pale skin to Eren's overwhelming warmth. The utterly perfect man sucks in a breath at the sight of Levi's denuded body, shivering prettily in arousal. This just makes Levi's erection swell in response to this angel so clearly approving of him. 

Levi makes quick work of undressing Eren, desperate to finally see all of that maddeningly tempting amber skin. The sight takes his breath away. If he thought that he found Eren beautiful before, he was fucking wrong. The person before him is ethereal, flawless, so sensual and hypnotic that it makes Levi completely forget everything for a moment. But in the next instant, his hands greedily begin to explore, memorizing the feel of everything. 

Eren's ass is so soft and silky as Levi palms it roughly, needy and mad with lust. The raven needs to be inside him, can't stand having to wait even a second longer, but he wants Eren to enjoy this as much as he is, if that's even possible. So instead of thrusting in right away, the Captain begins to stroke the angel's most intimate place, his hand moving up and down slowly before picking up the pace. 

Eren shudders, beautiful lashes shivering as those eyes are closed tightly and captivating gasps leave those sinful lips. Levi cums again, soiling the sheets, the sight of him pleasuring Eren just far too stimulating. His body has never been his sensitive before, never this ready to snap before meeting Eren. But somehow, the brunette is like the fucking physical embodiment of desire to Levi. He doesn't understand it, doesn't try to, simply basking in the glory that is Eren Yeager. 

Those elegant hands grip the belt that binds them as Eren quickly becomes undone, his body not at all used to the stimulation. The sight brings a feral, almost viscous grin to Levi's face as he hungrily licks the cum from his hand. It shouldn't taste so good, but it's delectable, sweet with a bitter undertone that is so uniquely _Eren_ that it drives him wild. The scent of Eren is wonderfully suffocating, exotic and conjuring up the image of the wilderness in Levi's mind. 

Eren watches Levi lap at his hand, and the angel blushes deeply, exhaling a shuddering breath that makes a searing heat spread in the raven's chest. _Perfect. So fucking perfect._ Levi captures those bruised lips once more out of an overwhelming compulsion. It feels wrong when he isn't kissing Eren. 

The flavor of Eren's mouth is offered new, tantalizing dimension with the additional taste of the green eyed beauty's cum. Each taste is more intoxicating than the last, and Levi can't fucking get enough. It's like he's starving and dying of thirst at the same time. There's this terrible ache in the pit of his stomach that has him ravenously seeking out more, more. 

"I will eat you gently." Levi promises, his low voice rumbling as he speaks right into Eren's ear, his breath making that irresistible body tremble. A quiet, pretty little whimper leaves the brunette's lips that makes Levi grin almost evilly. Though, is it evil to take what's yours? "I'll devour every inch, consume you slowly..." He punctuates his words with a sharp bite to Eren's hip bone. 

The raven makes quick work retrieving the lubricant from the bedside table, having procured it specifically for this moment. Those spellbinding green eyes follow every movement Levi makes as he coats his fingers. He's expecting Eren to look scared, or confused, but the breathtaking man simply looks serene, and somehow that is so incredibly seductive that Levi almost cums again. 

He gently begins to loosen Eren up. The angelic brunette looks slightly surprised at first, but quickly begins to gasp in pleasure, moaning only when Levi does something particularly wonderful. To heighten his beloved's pleasure, and to properly savor the angel that has him so obsessed, Levi gives Eren's member some attention with his mouth. Eren strains against the belt, looking embarrassed. 

"Levi, it's dirty!" His breathless, adorable voice exclaims, and Levi groans because everything Eren does is so sexy. He pulls away from Eren's intimate place, grinning hungrily at the utterly stunning brunette. 

"Everything about you is clean, but _I_ will sully you thoroughly." With that promise, Levi continues to prepare and pleasure the object of his obsessive desire until Eren comes undone again, thus making the raven also climax, as the sight of Eren cumming is the fucking sexiest thing he's ever seen. 

Levi can't control himself anymore, he has to be inside Eren right this fucking second. As he lines himself up, he devours the green eyed beauty's mouth once again. Gently, agonizingly gently, he pushes into Eren, and immediately ecstasy unlike anything else crashes over him. His breath leaves him and he has to stop kissing Eren because he can't even think as the mind numbing pleasure slams into him. Eren cries out, his hips grinding into Levi as his body desperately seeks out more. This just makes the euphoria all the more intense and the raven growls viciously. 

Levi is ravenous, starving, and he sinks his teeth into Eren's neck as he begins to move. Slowly at first, but rapidly the restraint evaporates and Levi begins thrusting into Eren brutally. The angel beneath him, wrapped around him, is moaning deliciously, tears of pleasure pushing their way out from underneath those lovely eyelashes. 

The raven takes in the sight greedily, the picture of Eren being fucked by _him_ while those elegant hands are tied to _his_ bed. That caramel skin is shining with sweat and cum and it's so fucking sexy that Levi is almost kicked right over the edge. The love bites and teeth marks on that fucking exquisite body wink at him, filling his entire body with a drunken sort of warmth. 

Eren has never looked more gorgeous than in this moment. Naked, trembling underneath Levi as the brunette's body perfectly takes all of him in, he's the picture of temptation. Those stunning, long legs are wrapped around his hips tightly. But Eren's face... it's fucking radiant. Cheeks stained the best shade of pink, lips red and bruised while clasped between those pearly teeth, tears sparkling and sliding down his flawless face, and expression one of absolute pleasure, Eren is heavenly. He is beyond perfection. Never in his wildest fantasies would Levi have been able to picture this breathtaking scene. 

_"Levi..."_ Eren moans, and the raven gasps, his body viscerally reacting to hearing this angel say his name like that. He had imagined it countless times, but the real thing is beyond compare. It takes every ounce of self control not to cum right fucking then. In fact, Levi had been ready to come undone from the instant he entered Eren. 

Levi snarls wildly, kissing Eren savagely before leaning his forehead against the brunette's. "Say it again." He orders, his low voice barely audible over the sound of flesh colliding and the bed creaking. Eren shivers at Levi's words, and his insides tighten around the raven blissfully, making the silver eyed man suck in a breath at the overwhelming sensation. Eren is already so fucking tight, the intense heat almost burning Levi, but somehow he becomes even tighter. 

"Levi, I-I--" The brunette gasps, straining against the belt. Levi quickly frees those lovely hands, and they immediately search out Levi's own. The Captain feels a dizzying sort of euphoria as he tightly holds Eren's hands while he makes love to the angelic man. "Levi, I l-love you, I have this entire time, I'm sorry..." Eren shocks Levi by saying, and the man stops, pulling back to properly look at the stunning man beneath him. 

Silver eyes are wide, desperate, unbelieving as he mercilessly seeks out any hint of a lie. Eren is gazing up at him, those captivating green eyes brimming with tears and expression one of regret. "I know you might hate me because of it, that's why I didn't s-say anything, but I'm in love with you and I don't know what to do..." Eren sobs, and Levi is speechless for a moment. This can't be real, it's too incredible to be true. _Eren is in love with me? But why is he sorry, didn't he hear me when I just said that I love him?_ Levi is confused but he can figure this all out later, right now he just needs to _show_ Eren how he feels. 

Immediately, Levi thrusts _hard_ into Eren, making the fucking breathtaking man gasp in surprise. If his pace was intense before, now it is bruising as he utterly ravages the man he's so fucking in love with. _He's in love with me. He's in love with me. He's in love with me._ A crazed grin is on Levi's face and a manic sort of laugh leaves him. Eren is crying out, squeezing the raven's hands tightly as the pleasure reaches new heights. 

"You're fucking _mine_ , Eren. Every inch, every part of you belongs to me. Finally, _finally_ , you're all mine." Levi groans, every fiber of his being in ecstasy. This is beyond anything he ever imagined. He never thought that he would be given such a gift. "I fucking love you." At his words, Eren clamps down, his hips rolling as he cums, shoving Levi right over the edge after him. The raven pours himself into Eren, and the sensation is unlike any other. The pleasure that assaults him at the knowledge that he's thoroughly claimed this angel as his cannot be matched by anything and he moans blissfully. 

However, Levi isn't done, and after allowing Eren to catch his breath, the raven does it all again and again, thoroughly making a mess out of the brunette bombshell and teaching him just how much Levi craves him. Even that isn't enough for the silver eyed man, and he pushes them both to their limit until the sun has long since surrendered its control to the moon. Eventually, Levi has no choice but to stop, as the both of them are utterly spent. 

The Captain leans against the head board, cradling Eren's head in his lap as he strokes that silky chocolate hair. Elation, pure fucking joy, pride, and an insane mania grip him as he relishes in everything that has happened. After months of longing, of craving, of maddening hunger and desperation, Levi has finally made Eren _his_. His beloved has finally fallen in love with him. 

However, instead of feeling some relief from the crazed appetite he has for Eren, somehow it has gotten so much worse. It's eating at Levi in the most delicious of ways, and he can hardly wait for their bodies to recover so he can indulge in his craving over and over again. Eren is perfection, everything Levi desires and more. He'll never be satisfied, never have enough of the green eyed beauty. 

So as Eren sleeps peacefully in Levi's lap, the raven devises all sorts of ways to further devour him. There are so many options, all tantalizing and irresistible. He will not rest until he learns everything about this new side of Eren, will lay claim to him as many times as it takes, and then still continue to do so even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEA BOIIIII IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED


	27. After Glow

_Eren_

Green eyes with splashes of teal in them open slowly, his tired body protesting against his departure from the land of sleep. Eren moans sleepily, the sunlight causing his eyes to sting as he blinks rapidly to get used to it. A wonderful pain grips his aching muscles as he stretches in the bed.

"Good morning, brat." A rumbling, deep voice greets him, causing goosebumps of excitement to spring up all over Eren's bare amber skin. The brunette smiles happily, still groggy, as he turns over to look at the man lying next to him. Levi is propping his head up on his hand, looking down at the Titan shifter with a rare smile on his painfully handsome face. Butterflies roar to life in Eren's abdomen as his gaze meets the Captain's.

"Morning." The eighteen year old breathes, blushing as memories of the previous day flood his mind. Eren still can't believe that any of that happened. He never thought Levi would want him, love him. The brunette had assumed that the silver eyed man already had someone he cared for. However, the raven had proved him wrong just by the sheer passion, the almost frightening intensity with which Levi had made love to him. A thrill shoots through Eren as he remembers the possessive, dark words that the Captain had spoken to him. The green eyed man has never felt so overjoyed, so excited in his life. _Levi loves me._ The younger man thinks, smiling slightly as he buries his face in the pillow to hide his goofy expression of bliss.

"Oi, don't hide your face, I want to look at you." Levi grumbles, a pale hand finding its way to Eren's hip before pulling the sun-kissed man flush against him. Eren shivers in arousal, loving the feeling of the Captain's hands, and the sensation of their bodies pressed together. He turns his head, glancing shyly at the black haired man. Levi is smirking, his hand sliding down Eren's thigh suggestively. "Now, before I make love to you again in the next minute, I want to you to tell me what the hell that was yesterday." The raven says sternly, his face suddenly hard, even though he is still caressing the brunette tenderly.

Eren flushes with humiliation, brutally reminded that Levi had witnessed his moment with Jean. Even more embarrassment floods him as he realizes that he has to reveal the pathetic reason that he was even in that position. "U-Um, well you see, I was trying to fall out of love with you..." Eren stammers, sitting up and raising the sheets to hide is torso. He feels vulnerable, exposed, and helplessly humiliated.

A look of dangerous anger consumes Levi's handsome face as he too sits up, silver eyes flashing. "Explain." The raven demands.

"When I figured out that I was in love with you, I thought that you would hate me if you found out. So, Jean agreed to help me get rid of those feelings by making me fall in love with him. I didn't want you to be disgusted by me, and I thought that it would work, so I really tried to feel that way about Jean. Nothing worked though..." Eren trails off, a rush of shame shooting through him as he realizes that he very nearly slept with Jean just so he could get over Levi.

"Why the fuck would you think that I would hate you? All I've wanted since I first fucking saw you was for you to be in love with me. I've loved you from the very beginning, you fucking twit." Levi snaps, dragging Eren down and pinning the brunette there with his powerful body. With Levi on top of him, the green eyed man blushes, excited despite the obvious fury on the Captain's face. The raven's words make him feel too warm, elation spreading through him.

"R-Really?" Eren whispers. Green eyes begin to water happily. The Captain nods, one pale hand holding both of Eren's wrists while the other has his waist in a tantalizing grip. "I had no idea at all." The brunette admits.

"Tch. It's because you're way too oblivious. I've always been lusting after you, you shitty brat. You're mine, so if you ever let anyone else fucking touch you like that, I will fucking kill both of you." Levi breathes, but the threat ends up sounding more like flirtation as the raven begins to press firm kisses to Eren's tender neck. The shifter shudders, gasping when Levi's teeth graze his sensitive skin.

"You mean you've wanted to do this sort of thing with me this entire time?" Eren gasps as Levi grinds into him. Caramel legs press into the Captain's hips, eliciting an aroused growl from him. The sound does something delightfully strange to Eren, and his body instinctively presses into Levi in search of more contact. The brunette can feel that the silver eyed man is already completely hard.

"I've wanted it so fucking badly that I thought I was going insane." Levi whispers before capturing Eren's lips. Every inch of him becomes sinfully warm as the happiness and pleasure from the kiss consumes him. It's like his body isn't his own anymore, as it hungrily seeks out more of the Captain, greedy for the pleasure the raven is so eagerly offering.

As Levi loosens him up, Eren's toes curl and his breath comes out in pants from the dizzying sensations. Those fingers move in a certain way, and a moan tumbles from the eighteen year old's lips. It feels incredible, but very strange. He and pleasure are strangers, but Levi is quickly forcing them to get closely acquainted. Eren can't get enough of the feel of the Captain's hands on his body, of the knowledge that the raven wants him the same way he longs for the silver eyed man.

When Levi thrusts into Eren, ecstasy also slams into him, the sensation unfamiliar but amazing. Before Levi, he never knew it was possible to feel so good. His back arches as he cries out in pleasure. The raven breathes out words of adoration between his own deep moans. It makes Eren feel breathless. The sounds Levi makes only serve to excite him even more. He can't get enough of this, of feeling the man he loves inside of him. Every sweet word the silver eyed man speaks makes him feel like crying from joy. It's like he is becoming one with Levi, and a sense of completeness fills him.

Golden fingers grip Levi's broad, muscular back as the Captain pounds into him intensely. Eren can feel the other man's muscles ripple beneath his fingertips. He loves the feel of Levi's powerful body pinning him down. "Levi, I love you." Eren breathes, tears sliding down his cheeks as the pleasure overwhelms him. He shudders and gasps as he feels Levi grow even bigger inside him at his words. Green eyes peak open to glance at the raven's handsome face, which looks wild, a large, hungry grin resting there. A thrill goes through Eren at the sight. So, he says it again and again, relishing in the feral expression Levi makes at his words. He loves knowing that he affects the soldier so intensely.

The heat that was coiling in his gut snaps, and as Eren becomes undone, his pleasure is further heightened at the sensation of Levi cumming inside of him. The brunette is exhausted, his body still worn out from their couplings yesterday and last night. Green eyes begin to drift closed, when a pale hand on his most sensitive place makes him jolt. Levi still looks ravenous, and as he pleasures Eren, the eighteen year old shudders and mewls from the over-stimulation of being stroked after just cumming. 

"L-Levi!" The shifter cries out, making the Captain growl in arousal. Eren has noticed that the silver eyed man loves it when he says the raven's name. The grip Levi has on his wrists is bruising, the pain contrasting sharply with the delectation. Soon the Captain is pushing into Eren all over again. Despite being so tired, Eren enthusiastically moves his hips in time with those savage thrusts. Every time he does, Levi groans excitingly. 

Levi bites into Eren repeatedly in a way that makes the brunette's toes curl and his breath hitch. The ache of the wounds is indistinguishable from the pleasure at this point. The shifter's mind is hazy, the ecstasy making his thoughts muddled. "You're so fucking perfect... so beautiful... _my_ Eren..." The raven all but moans the words and it pushes Eren right over the edge once again. The silver eyed man follows suit. 

They collapse onto the bed, panting heavily, limbs tangled. Both of them are complete messes, especially Eren. The brunette wants nothing more than to go back to sleep, but the stickiness of his skin is too bothersome to ignore. "I need to take a bath." The shifter whispers, voice slightly hoarse from all the moaning and panting. He creaks one emerald eye open to glance at Levi, who wears a somewhat blissful and smug expression. 

"Really? I think you're perfect just like this." The raven replies sensually, pressing an affectionate kiss to Eren's temple. The green eyed man scowls, giving a weak punch to Levi's shoulder. The Captain gives a rare chuckle. Those silver eyes sparkle as he presses one last kiss to Eren's lips before getting out of bed. The brunette allows himself to ogle Levi's denuded body a bit as the older man walks to the attached bathroom. That powerful physique makes his cheeks heat with attraction. The raven truly is incredibly handsome. 

Eren drifts off, but before too long Levi shakes him awake. "The bath is ready, you shitty brat. Need me to carry you there?" He teases, and the green eyed man gives him a playful glare before dragging his exhausted body out of bed. The two slide into the bath together, somehow managing to fit somewhat comfortably. As Eren goes about lazily cleaning himself, he notices that Levi is just leaning against the wooden tub, watching the brunette closely. 

Eren quirks a brow at him, before taking the sponge he is holding and beginning to rub it against Levi's chest. "Here, you need to wash up. I'll do it for you." He says, automatically falling back into the well practiced role of a caretaker because of those weeks of looking after the raven when he was injured. 

Levi sputters, eyes wide as Eren calmly sets about cleaning him. "Oi, brat, aren't you tired?" The green eyed man nods questioningly as he continues on with his task. "Then you should think twice about being so seductive." Eren, confused, tilts his head slightly, before noticing Levi's very obvious arousal. Amber cheeks flood with heat and he quickly sits back shyly. Those silver eyes follow him hungrily, before Levi all but pounces on him. 

Soon Eren is bent over the side of the tub, drowning in wave after wave of pleasure as Levi makes love to him once again. Even when his body is spent, he still can't get enough of feeling so close to Levi. The raven is more gentle this time, taking into account the condition the brunette is in. This makes the shifter's heart swell with happiness. The knowledge that Levi wants to take care of him makes him feel warm all over. 

Eventually, once clean, the two of them lie in bed, Eren half asleep as Levi strokes his bare back affectionately. "Get some more sleep. I'll tell everyone that we're taking the day off." The Captain whispers. The only response he receives is a sleepy hum of acknowledgement. A rare feeling of serenity blankets Eren as he relishes in the raven's gentle caresses. A deep, dreamless sleep overtakes him gradually, his body getting some much needed rest. 

* * *

_Levi_

The silver eyed man watches blissfully as his beloved sleeps deeply. Somehow, even after a bath, Eren still smells like the forest. The scent envelops the soldier deliciously as he lays next to the slumbering beauty. Levi is riding a steady wave of ecstasy. The events of the past twenty four hours feel like some unbelievable dream. The raven has to make love to Eren again and again just to prove to himself that this is all real. 

Eventually the soldier has to remove himself from the green eyed beauty's side, a task that is borderline painful. Levi wants nothing more than to never part with Eren again. However, he also knows that he has some things to take care of. Namely, that fucking piece of shit that he dealt with yesterday. As much as he would like to leave that asshole in the woods to die slowly, he knows that he wouldn't be able to get away with it. 

So, Levi gets properly dressed, side stepping his destroyed front door and making the short trek over to the main cottage. He maintains composed, strolling in only to find that everyone is looking grim, sitting at the dining room table broodingly. Hanji looks up, the only one seeming in good spirits as she gives the raven a mischievous smile. 

"I see that you and the jewel of the Survey Corps finally got together, Levi. Congratulations." She says with far too much excitement. Levi glares at her in warning. Mikasa looks fucking murderous, Armin looks slightly dejected, while Historia, Connie, and Sasha wear small grins. However, everyone's faces are tense. Jean is noticeably absent. 

"What the fuck is wrong? You all look like someone died." Levi grumbles, plopping down in a chair as he drapes his arm over the back of it. He remains nonchalant, not willing to give anything away. 

"It seems Jean was attacked yesterday. Sasha found him in the woods, beaten badly and unconscious." Hanji replies seriously, propping her elbows up on the table as she clasps her hands together in thought. Levi quirks a brow in question. "He hasn't woken up yet, but we have to assume that it is the Military Police. They may be beginning to make a move against us." The red head continues gravely. Levi resists the urge to smirk at how convenient this is. 

"We should begin preparations to move soon, in that case. I would say that we should leave today, but with Jean's condition and Eren being so... fatigued from experiments, we'll have to wait. After all, it could have just been a bandit. The people on watch would have noticed Military Police skulking about." Levi responds calmly, sighing. "How badly was he hurt?" 

"His legs are broken, as well as his hands, and he seems to have a bad concussion. It will take a while before he's able to use ODM, Sir." The food obsessed brat informs him tentatively. The raven nods. He'll have to be sure to stick close to Jean until he wakes up, then threaten the fucking pig to stay quiet before he has a chance to blab about anything. 

"Good. Everyone take the day off except for watch duty. I'll be at my place, don't stop by unless it's an emergency." Levi says pointedly at Hanji, who is grinning evilly. The Captain is eager to get back to his sleeping beauty, and wastes no time in hurrying to his beloved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the slower updates, I've been quite busy and lacking ideas lately. Please be patient with me! : )


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